My Biggest Fan
by QuasiOuster
Summary: What if things had turned out differently? AU Dom/Letty story.
1. Where Are They Now?

**Author's Note: Here's a little something different. I've been working on this challenge from my beta for a while where I have to incorporate fanfiction elements that I normally don't use. This time around, I'm trying angst and a Mary Sue character-as much as I can allow myself anyway. And it has to be AU which is something I don't think I've done with these two. This was quite a challenge but I hope that when I'm done, this will be a story that I can add on to from time to time. Enjoy and on with the show!**

Chapter One

It was turning into a typical day at the garage. Leon was underneath a car trying to finish all of his work so he could bounce early. Jesse was in the back on the computer designing some new details for one of their racing buddies. Vince was hanging out before hitting up one of his gigs with his band. Dom was actually going to show his face for this one and they were planning on grabbing a beer before showtime. He could have met Dom at the club but he was hoping that Mia would pass by on her way home from work. He had mostly given up on his infatuation with her but it didn't hurt to keep his face out there.

The two old friends were laughing at the new guy sitting in the corner with his feet propped up reading the latest car magazine. Vince hit Dom on the arm and pointed to the kid and laughed. Jorge was a young hothead they had run into at the races one night. He had been fascinated by the cars and really knew his stuff, especially when it came to structure and design. Of course, he and Jesse hit it off right away. He seemed like the kind of kid that needed somebody to keep him out of trouble. His home life sounded completely messed up, not that he talked about it much. All the guys had kind of adopted him so to speak. But the garage kept him busy and off the streets for the most part.

Usually Dom would give him a hard time for goofing off but it was that kind of day where he was going to let it slide. The day was too relaxed to get worked up and really there wasn't too much to do around the place. Business wasn't bad - it was pretty good in fact. But they had hauled ass during the week so they could take it easy for once. That's how Vince had finally convinced Dom to come out.

Things were a lot quieter since the last heist five years ago. So many things had gone wrong. Jesse and Vince had almost died; they found out that the guy who they had welcomed into their circle was a cop and they had all only narrowly escaped doing hard time. It was only by luck that they had pulled it all off and gotten out of there before Brian and Mia had shown up. With well-crafted alibis that they had put in place beforehand, there was no way the cops could pin the job on them. It was only Dom that got back in time to save Jesse from Tran and it had been too damn close. They had all sat around the hospital for a week waiting to see if Jesse would live or die. And of course, the little guy had made it through to race another day. Unfortunately, Tran hadn't been so lucky thanks to Dom.

But the whole thing had done a number on Dom. He had seen how close they came to losing it all. Another couple of inches and Letty's car would have flipped over. If Leon hadn't plucked an injured Vince off of the truck, there was no way he would have survived. All because he had been too greedy or stubborn or stupid to let it go. He had put them all at risk and it went about as fucked as it could get. That kind of thing was bound to change a person and Dom was in many ways, a shadow of the man he had been before. And life just kept going downhill from there.

In truth, things had changed the most for him the day she left.

They had all learned some hard lessons and were forced to grow up and face the consequences of their lifestyles. So these days, Dom was always around for the races but he pretty much limited his social life to that scene. He'd hang out with all his neighborhood racing buddies and party afterwards. Sometimes he'd hook up with one of the "ladies" hanging around. But Dom's life pretty much revolved around the store and the garage.

The phone rang and Dom interrupted his and Vince's easy banter to see who was calling and what they could possibly want on a Saturday afternoon. Vince looked back over at the kid who was now holding his magazine out and sideways, centerfold style. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull.

'Must be a pretty sweet car,' he thought to himself.

Vince grinned and walked over to have a little fun with the kid.

"What's got you so bug-eyed over here? You're reading these magazines all the time and I've never seen you get so excited. You gettin' all worked up over some car? I guess that's what happens when none of the girls want you." He laughed at Jorge's pissed off look, knowing that it was always funny to get the little guy mad.

"Man, didn't nobody ask you to come over here gettin' all in my business." He flipped Vince off and went back to gawking over his magazine. "If you must know, they got this special issue out. And man, they got this one bitch in here who is fine! I mean, I think I'm in love over here." He looked back down at the magazine and fanned himself with it to indicate the girl's hotness.

Vince stopped the kid in mid-fan and grabbed the magazine out of his hand. "Let me see that. Knowing you, it doesn't take too much to get your shit up. You seem like the type to get it bad for those chicks in your mom's underwear catalogues."

"Those bitches are hot too!" he protested trying to get his magazine back. "Give that back to me. You better not fuck it up because I'm going to put that one up on my wall so I can go to sleep and dream about my fantasy woman every night."

"More like jack off to her every night. Pathetic," he said really laughing at him now. "Calm the fuck down. I just want to see who the hell's got you acting crazy." He kept one arm out keeping the smaller guy at bay and looked down at the page in front of him.

Vince dropped his arm in shock and placed both hands on the magazine. "Holy shit!" he shouted. "Holy fucking shit!"

"See, I told you she was hot! Now give it back. If you like her so much get your own."

Vince ignored him and continued staring down at the picture and flipping the page over to see if there was anything else about her. "Leon, Jesse, get your asses over here NOW!"

Leon, who had sort of heard the exchange between the two men but had been mostly ignoring it, slid out from underneath the car he was working on. "What! I'm busy over here."

"Just get over here, hurry."

Jesse came wandering from around the corner to see what all the fuss was about. He saw the magazine in Vince's hand and his eyes lit up. "Hey is that the new issue? I haven't seen it yet, don't fuck it up."

"Jesse, you've got to see this. Get over here!" He looked over to see if Dom was still on the phone and he seemed deeply engaged in whatever conversation he was having at the moment.

When they wandered over, he showed them the magazine and watched both of their eyes bug out of their heads just like Vince's had.

"Holy shit!

"What the fuck!" they said at the same time.

"Keep it down," Vince said, glancing towards Dom again. Leon and Jesse began fighting over the magazine.

"I can't believe it," Jesse said flipping the pages to look at the article attached and see if there were any more pictures. "I can't fucking believe this."

Leon looked just as dazed. "Did anybody know about this?"

Vince was 30 seconds from freaking out over this. "Man, this is news to me."

Jorge was looking from one guy to another, pissed that they had taken over his magazine. He tried to get it back but now that they had gotten their hands on the issue, they weren't letting it go. And he didn't understand why they were all apeshit over that chick anyway. Sure she was hot but she wasn't even their type judging from the bleach blonde skanks they were always bringing around. Not that he wouldn't do any of those skanks himself but the point was that this was his fantasy girl and they were fucking the picture up. He had had enough.

"Hey assholes," he bellowed. The three guys immediately shut up and turned around to look at the kid trying to peek over their shoulders. With all 3 sets of eyes on him, Jorge lost a little bit of his backbone but instead tried to make a grab for the magazine.

Vince was again too fast for him and in dodging the boy's lunge, also grabbed him by the back of the shirt. "If you don't shut the fuck up right now, I'm going to stomp on you until you're nothing." He then let go and turned back to Leon and Jesse. "Get this out of here. Dom cannot see this or he'll freak out."

Jesse looked around for Dom and said, "you really think he'll freak out. I mean, it's been a while …"

"Dog, he'll freak out for sure," Leon added. "But damn maybe that's a good thing. He needs to get some shit out of his system after all this time."

"Uh uh brother. Now aint the time for this shit." He looked back over at Jorge. "Take this and get it out of here now. And you better not let Dom catch you with it or … well, you don't want to know what I'll do to you. You hear me kid?" He looked back over at Dom's office where it looked like he was wrapping up his phone conversation.

Jorge was pissed but more than that he was curious why the hell they cared whether Dom caught them looking at the magazine. They were always looking at magazines in their downtime at the shop. He didn't really know what Dom's type was since he didn't bring girls around but from what he'd heard, this girl would be right up his alley. These guys were trippin' but he wasn't about to get his ass kicked over it.

"Fine. More for me anyway." He grabbed the magazine back and smoothed out the page where it had curled up slightly. "Y'all aint making no kind of sense today but Dom aint gonna see shit. Not from me at least."

"Dom aint gonna see what?" a deep voice replied from around the corner. The four guys turned around not having heard Dom leave the office and cross the garage before turning back at hearing their conversation. "I'm trying to make the order for next week and all I hear is you punks yelling and carrying on about some shit. And now I hear that you're keeping things from me? What the fuck?"

Vince grabbed the magazine back from Jorge and passed it to Leon to get rid of. "It aint nothing Dom, just this kid goofing off on company time. We were just giving him a hard time about it."

"Stop!" Dom said pointing at Leon trying to make a getaway with the magazine. "Since when do I give a fuck about the kid reading a magazine in the shop? What's going on here?"

"Nothing, man," Leon replied. "Like Vince said, we were just giving the kid a hard time. Aint no thing."

Dom looked down at Leon's hand and motioned for him to turn over the magazine. "Give it here."

"Dom, it isn't even-"

"Did I ask you what it was? I asked you to give it up."

Jesse looked on hoping that shit wasn't about to go down. "Just give it to him. It's nothing anyway."

Leon looked over at Vince before flipping the magazine shut and giving it to Dom. When Dom looked down at it, he smirked and stared at the four guys in front of him. "Why are you knuckleheads trippin' over some car magazine? The kid reads this all the time." He then turned to Jorge. "But the guys have a point. I keep telling you you're not going to learn the shit you need to reading magazines. You need to get in there and just do it. That's what my dad taught me and what his dad taught him before that."

Vince and Leon dropped their shoulders in relief that Dom was letting things slide. You just didn't know what set him off from day to day and this could have definitely done some damage. Jesse just shook his head and turned to walk away.

Dom leaned over to give the magazine back to Jorge but the kid accidentally dropped it in his nervousness at being dressed down by his mentor. Naturally, the book opened to the folded page that he had been lustily admiring before Vince and the rest of the guys had lost their minds. He bent to pick it up and put it back in his bag before anything else could happen to his dream girl but Dom had snatched it back up before he could even blink.

"What the hell…"

Jorge watched Dom's eyes go wide at seeing his beautiful Latina beauty lying provocatively on a creeper in a dingy garage, much like the one they were in now. She was wearing a pair of low, painted on leather pants and a tight tank top that barely covered her breasts and was adorned with the letters "CG" across it. Long, flowing hair lay all around her beautiful face and she looked, well, dirty - filthy in fact, but in the sexiest way imaginable. Her skin glistened with sweat and grease and hotness that shined along her arms and across her well-toned, exposed stomach. Above her head, you could see her hands gripping two tools and you could just tell that she knew how to use them. Her eyes peered out with an intensity like she was either going to rock your world or eat you alive, or both. She looked like the goddess that every mechanic and low-life racer dreamed of worshipping every night.

"Not you too," Jorge said. "For the last time, this is my girl. You all need to get your own." He tried to reach out for the magazine but Dom easily pushed his skinny arm back down.

"You're wrong," Dom said quietly. He continued to stare transfixed at the picture spread in front of him. He turned the page to see if there was an article but then flipped back to looking at the woman who had turned everyone's world upside down that day. And there it was, right there in black and white. Letty Ortiz.

Dom blinked trying to keep the emotions of seeing his ex-co-worker, ex-best friend, ex-lover, from overwhelming him. "You're wrong," he said again. 'She's my girl. My Letty.'

TBC


	2. Newsflash

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews and feedback. It's very helpful and definitely appreciated. This story is mostly written so I'll try to post a little bit every day or so. Also, I know very little about cars or racing. I made everything up using very little research. I know that pulls some people out of a story so I'm offering a warning now. I hope it's not too distracting. Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

Dom sat alone in his room looking at the article about Letty. After discovering her in Jorge's magazine earlier, he had simply walked out of the garage and drove off. He assumed the other guys closed up shop and that Vince went off to his gig without him. He drove around for a while in shock at what he'd seen, not really able to believe it. Finally, he broke down and bought a copy of the magazine that was now sitting open on his bed.

He could barely stand to look at her image after remembering what had last gone down between them in this very room.

After it was clear that Letty wasn't going to be coming back to L.A., he unconsciously cut himself off from hearing any information about her. And after a while, people stopped volunteering it. It was too hard to know where she was but not know what she was doing while she was there. He couldn't stand to think about whether she was making new friends or taking new lovers although it was her right if she wanted to do those things. It was better to cut things off; it was less painful.

Or so he thought.

After staring at the picture of Letty that would no doubt haunt him for many nights to come, Dom realized he couldn't go on any longer not knowing. He picked up the magazine and began to read.

* * *

Pit Stopper

_by L.C. Jones_

_It's 7:00 in the morning in the Castillo Group garage and everyone is rolling in with their coffee or their aspirin, whichever is going to help them get through the day. There's a printed schedule on the sideboard listing all of the tasks that need to get done before they pack up for the next cross-continental trip to vie for another racing title. They've been on a streak lately taking home titles in Italy, Canada and two in the United States. There's always a lot at stake for every race but their attitude about it all is becoming routine. _

_"We're the ones to beat and damn straight," says one mechanic, the only person in the room looking well-rested and ready to go. _

_When everyone finally trickles in at around 7:30, the pit leader comes through, gives a short and sweet rundown for the week and everyone goes about their business like they do this everyday in their sleep. This may be the scene at every other garage on the Circuit but with one difference that seems to get people talking lately: this team is led not by a grizzled old-timer from a long line of racing royalty or from a European power-group but by a young, street-wise Latina from Los Angeles, California. _

_Leticia "Letty" Ortiz doesn't know if she's just another pretty face. However, she will kick your ass if you look at hers the wrong way. _

_"I've spent my whole life standing up to the big boys and I'll be damned if I stop now." _

_In fact, she's had her foot steadily on the accelerator for the past few years making herself known on the Circuit. She started out on the back up crew for Hector "the Green Phantom" Santos" (see story on p. 25), and before long, moved through the ranks of the racing circuit like a woman on a mission. Santos, himself, had no idea that his long-time friend had such potential. _

_"I've known that girl since she was a tiny little firecracker on the block trying to run with the big kids. She always kind of hung back but I should have know that my chica was crafty behind the scenes." _

_Now this L.A. native who grew up rough and tumble in the streets, spends her days traveling all over the world, either holed up in swank hotels or, more likely, getting her hands dirty working on cars. She's the first female pit crew leader on the Circuit and while people think that's either the worst or the sexiest thing to happen to racing, no one can deny that she's put some excitement back in the sport. Her team, owned by the relatively new Castillo Group out of Spain, has been winning races on tracks across the globe. Endorsements are at an all time high and Ortiz is living a dream. _

_"I left L.A. and never looked back. I don't really have a home these days since I keep so busy now with my responsibilities on the Circuit. Sometimes I miss those old times back home but it's been good for me to, you know, move forward in my life like I have." _

_When asked about where it all started for her, Ortiz is direct but guarded. She's been into cars since she was a little girl and did some street racing back in her youth. She even admits to winning a few hustles at Race Wars, California's yearly sanctioned street racing event out in the desert. But after years of "living crazy" as she puts it, she decided she needed a change and Hector Santos was the opportunity that would open up everything. _

_"I didn't think things would turn out like it has when I hooked up with Hector. I had been having some relationship drama and found myself looking for a way out of what I was going through at the time." Later she added that she left behind some people that she really loved but "it was the right thing to do."_

_No doubt all of her old friends are proud of what she has accomplished, if they even know about it. _

_"They kept my involvement with the team under wraps for a long time. On the track you can't really tell who's who anyway. But when I started running things a few months ago, there was no hiding the long hair and boobs." _

_But what no one can keep hidden is Ortiz' talent and how it's made the name for her team. What comes up again and again is how unconventional some of her methods are. She doesn't come from the establishment and that has been to the Castillo Group's advantage. Sometimes it doesn't pay off but a lot of times it does. Yet watching her crew work is like watching an industrial assembly line. It's intense but pretty routine. She runs a tight shop because she knows she has too. _

_"I get a lot of shit from my friends on other crews for taking orders from a girl," says teammate and fellow pit crew member Billy "Lojack" Johnson. "When it's time to get down to work, she's right there with us giving 200% because that's what she expects from us." He adds with a laugh, "but nobody else has got somebody that fine in the garage to look at everyday." _

_And Ortiz is the hottest thing about racing now. You can't watch a race on TV without getting a few shots of her and she's even started getting recognized by fans around the world, something she refers to as "extremely weird." But her new-found celebrity and the fact that everyone is gunning for her and her team is not going to stop Ortiz from getting the job done. _

_"I have lady-parts. I pee sitting down. That's about the only difference between me and every other pit leader out there," she says fiercely but with good humor. "Oh yeah, there's also the fact that I'm better than them. Fuck 'em. They can either whine about me being around or try to beat my drivers and crew at the races." _

_It looks like the Circuit better get used to having her around._

* * *

Dom was amazed and couldn't believe that he was reading about the life of someone he used to be closer to than anyone else in the world. He had even flipped through the pages and found the short snippet they did of Hector and he couldn't help but smile warmly about the old days. Of course he was happy for Letty. He never wanted anything but the best for her. He knew her well so he didn't miss how lonely she probably was out there, not really having a home. Stability was important to her mostly because she had grown up in such a cesspool of violent outbursts and dysfunction. But she sounded satisfied and happy. And she sounded proud. Hell, he was proud of her too.

Dom felt crushed by what he had just discovered. To see how well she was doing made him think that she really was better off without him and without the family they had created with their friends and Mia. She had been right to leave them behind. It was a terrible truth.

He closed the magazine forcing himself not to keep thinking about the subject. He had worked hard to get his life in order too and he didn't want to go down a long road of dark thoughts. The regrets and could-have-beens were meaningless now. Life goes on and they had both moved forward just like they had discussed the last time they'd talked so many years ago.

Dom leaned over to turn off the light so he could try to get some rest. After being getting blind-sided a few hours ago by the emotional bulldozer that was his prior relationship with Letty, he felt a heavy weight settle upon him once again. But before he could plunge himself into darkness and shut down, he hesitated and looked back over at the closed magazine. He picked it up and turned back to her picture, content to simply stare at her for a few moments longer.

TBC


	3. Question and Answer

**Author's Note: Here goes another one. This is the mildest of Mary Sue's so those of you who are concerned should be okay. This is about as Mary Sue-ish as I can get but I think it fulfills my challenge requirement. Thanks again for all the feedback and for everyone that's reading the story. It's a wonderful encouragement that I really do take to heart. Extra special love to my beta who helps me polish up all of these rambling words. Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

_Three months previously..._

Letty looked around uncomfortably as she absently ran a finger along her icy glass of gingerale. Her surroundings seemed surreal to her. She felt this way about her new life from time to time. Here she was in another anonymous hotel room hanging around until it was time to get back to work. Not that she was complaining or anything because things were going pretty well for her and she was thankful for that.

She had just finished her room service lunch brought up both because she really didn't have a permanent home or office in which to carry out these sorts of obligations she was presently handling and also because she didn't really want have the kind of conversation she was having somewhere out in public. The woman sitting across from her was nice enough, which in and of itself was a huge change from the people in her profession, but these things still made her nervous as hell. She smiled to herself thinking that most people would think nothing would make her nervous given the tough chick act she usually put on for the boys. But even she had her weaknesses. Revealing things about herself to others had always been at the top of the list.

"So …" the woman asked almost as nervously. Letty looked sharply over to her and stared at the little black box sitting between them and the pen and pad in the woman's hand. She opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it and, instead, looked back towards the passing clouds beyond the window to her left.

This conversation was not going how L.C. Jones had thought it would. From what she had heard and researched, the woman sitting at the table across from her, Leticia "Letty" Ortiz was a woman as intense in life as she was about racing. She thought it would only take a nudge or two to get something out of her. They had had a nice lunch and chatted like regular people do when they're feeling each other out. The afternoon had started out reasonably well. But here they were, trying not to make eye contact as they figured out what to say in this very awkward situation.

Letty sighed and pulled herself together. It wasn't like her to punk out like this, no matter how uncomfortable the circumstances. She had survived a tragic childhood, the loss of the people she loved several times over, and she had started over in life and had made something of herself when everything and everyone said she was crazy. And she had done all of this on her own terms. After all that, she sure as hell could get through one conversation.

Before she could speak Jones cut her off and spoke up. "Look, after getting to know you for a little bit, I know this isn't the most comfortable thing in the world for you. But I tell you what, why don't we put this away for now." She grabbed the tape recorder that she had placed in the middle of the table only a few minutes before and placed it back in her bag. She set the pen and paper aside folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Let's just talk. We can do this like normal people and forget that I'm a reporter doing a story and that you're a famous pit crew wench getting a story done on you." Letty smirked and raised an eyebrow at the woman's casual use of the title she had given herself as a joke. "We can just talk about some stuff and see what we've got at the end of all this."

Letty relaxed a little at the frank - and she had to admit, perceptive - assessment of the reporter she had been hanging out with for the afternoon. You wouldn't have put them together if you saw the two of them on paper but Letty figured she had proved herself enough to get a little something out of the deal. She had at least googled this L.C. Jones person before agreeing to the interview so it was on her to pony up. And truth be told, she didn't mind talking to her really. The woman had a job to do so she might as well let her do it. They could have sent the usual walking penis to write about her like they had tried before. She figured this chick was the best she was going to do in this department.

"Alright, girl, that sounds good. I don't mean to get weird on you but I'm just not used to all this. I don't think I'll ever get used to it actually."

"It's cool. It's not like it's your job to have everyone all up in your business. I know I'm a journalist but I understand that. And I respect that you'll tell what it is that you want people to know. I'm not looking to expose the skeletons in your closet. I just want to hopefully give people a glimpse of who you are and why I, at least, think people should know about what you've accomplished."

Letty laughed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know about all that," she responded trying not to show her embarrassment at the praise. "I'm just livin' you know."

The woman sat back and returned Letty's laughter. "I know. But still I've been doing my research on you. What you've accomplished is pretty bad ass and I bet the average person that knows anything about racing doesn't know shit about what you do. You started from the bottom, supporting a local racer and then worked your way up through the system to be the first female pit crew lead on the Circuit. And you did all that with your team winning title after title. Now everyone wants a piece of you. You're just a pretty face and a hot body to them - and that's fine, I guess but they need to also see that you've got major skills that deserve the same respect as any man out there making a living off of this."

"Please! I work harder than most of those assholes on the Circuit and they know it. AND I put up with their shit on top of everything else." Thinking about all the dudes out there either trying to take her job or trying to make things harder for her, always got her riled up. Luckily, her teammates were a solid group of guys and didn't let anybody fuck with her. Of course, she did the majority of the skull-breaking when it came to that. Her boys knew she could hold her own and it was Letty having the last laugh on the situation now.

The owners hadn't wanted her on the team at first, mostly because they were the most sexist fuckers Letty had ever met. But they had been talked into taking a chance and taken a lot of shit for it in the beginning. And now it was paying off in a big way. They got so much press for simply having her on the team. Especially when they started winning, they got in on a lot of sponsorship money from people wanting to cash in on the hype.

So yeah, Letty was pretty satisfied that she was the hottest shit out there on or off the track. When she calmed down a little, she looked at the reporter with surprise. "Getting me to go all feminist on you, huh? Nice job."

The reporter smirked and sat back in her chair while taking another sip of her wine. "I'm just trying to make conversation is all." Jones wasn't trying to be manipulative but it had come across that way unintentionally. Letty didn't seem too bothered by it, she noticed with some relief. If anything, it had gotten her in the mood to talk about her experiences and that was the whole point of their meeting wasn't it?

Letty picked up her drink as well. "It's cool." I guess I'd rather have you write about that than what color nail polish I'm wearing or some shit."

They both chuckled at that. "Believe me, I haven't forgotten that this piece is still for a car magazine read mostly by caveman males. When they're not staring at your photo spread, they're certainly going to want to know that you know your way around a car."

"Tell me about it. I've been around boys and their cars my whole life and I know exactly what goes through their simple little minds."

"Really? I don't think I've read much about your time before working on the Circuit. Was it your family that got you into racing? A best friend? A boyfriend?" She hoped that Letty would be willing to share some information about her past since as far as she knew, no other reporter had gotten that information out of her. Of course, knowing her colleagues, they probably hadn't come close to asking for this kind of information.

Jones looked up and saw that Letty had stilled noticeably and the air of casualness that they had established thus far had deflated quickly. She had obviously hit a nerve.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Well, I did mean to pry, actually, but not in a way that makes you uncomfortable. You don't have to answer that if you don't want to, although I admit that I would like to know and I think a lot of other people might be interested too.

Letty couldn't begin to describe the array of emotions going threw her mind and heart at the mention of her past and all of the memories from what she simply called "before." When she had left L.A. and hooked up with Hector, she had planned to put all of the bullshit from the past behind her. She thought that all the tragedy with her family was the hardest thing she had ever been through but leaving her second family for what was now her life definitely had that beat. She never would have thought she'd leave Mia, who she thought of as a sister, or Vince, who was her big lovable older brother. Jesse and Leon had been harder because they were closer to Dom and they hadn't known anything about Letty from before they were a team. They hadn't understood and were probably still really angry at her. But Mia and Vince knew and they, more than anyone else, understood why she had to go.

As far as Dom went, well, he was the easiest to leave because just looking at him made her ill and sad. But it hurt the most to let him go.

So she had followed Hector on his little adventure that got her foot in the door and like most everything else that she set her mind to, she ran with it and never turned back. Now she was this world traveler, professional racing wench that got people's attention wherever she went. There was no hovering behind any other larger-than-life personality. Hell, she was the larger-than-life personality. And she lived life by her rules and no one else's. She vowed never again to lose herself in another person like she had with Dom. She couldn't take the heartbreak anymore.

But she wasn't going to tell this reporter all that. They were cool but they weren't that cool. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give her something to chew on and it wasn't like she was intentionally trying to dodge anyone. She hadn't spoken or heard from anyone in her old life outside of Hector but she wasn't ashamed of where she came from. She was only trying to find her own identity after so long of being a part of someone else's.

Letty looked down and started playing with the arrangement sitting to the far side of their table. "Naw, it's fine. I don't have anything to hide, it's just I usually don't talk about that kind of stuff." Actually, she had plenty to hide but all of that crazy living with the heists and the street racing and all that was ancient history. "I'm from L.A. and lived there all my life until a few years ago."

"You left when you started working with the Green Phantom?" she joked. Letty chuckled too over Hector's stupid nickname for himself.

"Yeah, I left around that time." She shifted in her seat, not sure how much about her old life to reveal. "I had the usual fucked up childhood. I had some good friends and we all had some good times getting into trouble in the streets. But, you know, it was time to move on." She smiled wistfully, thinking about all the shit she had gotten into in her early life. And always in the middle of it was her old crew, her old family; Dom, Mia, Vince, Jesse and Leon.

"It was a guy wasn't it?" Letty looked up sharply at the comment. God, was she that transparent about Dom? Talk about seriously fucked up. "Don't look at me like that, I know these things. I'm not implying that you're going all girly on me but shit happens and sometimes it's the same kind of shit we all go through."

Jones was right. It's not like she and Dom were special. Obviously, if they were, they'd still be together. But it was a damn shame that they ended up like they did. She didn't like to be reminded of that.

"A guy was part of it, I guess," Letty answered nervously. She didn't know why she was telling all her business like this but she didn't think Jones was out to start some shit over her pathetic life. And like the woman said, it's not like her drama was all that unique or interesting. "But it was more than that too. I needed to make my own way in the world. And when this relationship got to be too much, I think I just decided that I had to change everything or it would be the same bullshit over and over again." Letty sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair in resignation. "I left some good friends behind but it was the right thing to do. I don't ever want to look in the mirror and see that girl looking back at me." The revelation was an intense one for Letty but a truth nonetheless. She regretted that she had to let good people go but she couldn't feel bad about leaving that girl that she was behind.

Jones nodded in understanding but Letty didn't notice, so lost in the past was she. They both sat there in silence, letting the moment run its course.

"Well that was serious," Jones said interrupting their introspection. "Enough of that crap. Why don't we talk about something worth a damn? How about we talk cars?"

Letty looked over to her and smiled. This chick was alright. "Why don't I ask you a question first?"

Jones looked dubious but thought, what the hell. "Fire away. It's only fair."

"What does 'L.C.' stand for?" she asked seriously.

"Oooh no. We're not going down that road. Some things weren't meant to be shared."

"Uh uh, girl. You said it's only fair. I googled your ass and saw all these crazy articles on education and the welfare system and all this do-gooder shit. And all of them by L.C. Jones. Since I know you're not going to tell me what a journalist like you is doing writing articles for a car magazine …" She paused giving Jones an opportunity to prove her wrong but the older woman just sat there confirming her lack of interest in expanding on that particular topic. "Fine. Then I want to at least know a tiny, itsy, bitsy piece of information."

Jones continued to look at her giving no sign of volunteering the requested intelligence. Letty cackled at that and let it go. "Wow, it must be really bad. Alright, let's talk about cars then. That, I can handle. Where should I start?"

Jones smiled in relief over the topic change. "Anywhere you like. And don't leave any detail out. I drive a Prius after all. I need the remedial tour of your world."

"Shut up!" Letty replied laughing her ass off. "How the hell did you get this assignment, you don't know shit about cars?"

"Hey, I'm a persuasive girl. You should appreciate that. Besides, I didn't want to focus on the cars. Any of my asshole colleagues could do that. I want to surprise people about how engaging you are. After having met you, I don't think I'll have a problem convincing people."

"We'll see about that. And if you want a tour of my world, we're going to have to do better than lunch in my hotel room. I hope you brought some comfortable shoes and some clothes you don't mind getting dirty. I'll try not to embarrass you, or myself for that matter."

Jones could see the wheels of mischief turning in Letty's head and was looking forward to getting one hell of a story out of the next 48 hours. "I'm ready with whatever you've got. And don't worry, you'll do great. This is the easy part-wait until you get to the photo shoot. You're going to LOVE that," she responded with an evil grin.

TBC


	4. Sticks and Stones

**Author's Note: Thanks again to those reading this story and especially those of you who are giving me all of the useful input. It really does help. This was originally a 4 chapter story but some suggestions have helped me expand it out and give the story a little more depth (in a good way, I hope). Keep it coming. By the way, my beta only had time for a quick once-over so we apologize for any typos or other weirdnesses.**

Chapter Four

_Five years previously…_

It was another late night and Dom still hadn't returned from whatever party continued to rage at this hour. Vince had left the party pretty soon after he got there, disappearing with the same girl he'd been hooking up with for the past couple of weeks. Leon and Jesse had stumbled in around 3, the latter so wasted that he was sure to still be feeling it 3 days from now. Letty and Mia had left hours ago, Mia to study for an exam and Letty, just because she couldn't stand to be there anymore. Besides, if she had stayed, she would only have managed to get pissed off at any little thing Dom did and it wasn't the night to make a scene again.

Finally at around 5 am, Dom shuffled in reeking of beer and barely able to stand up he was so exhausted. He was always so tired these days but tonight especially he was feeling it. He collapsed on the couch for about 15 minutes but then he vaguely remembered the other times he had passed out on the couch and the memories of his aches from the next day weren't so enjoyable. So he gathered what was left of his faculties and made his way upstairs to his room.

Letty was already there, of course, but instead of being asleep - or pretending to be asleep - like she usually was, she was sitting up waiting for him. And she looked completely pissed.

Dom was not in the mood to deal with this right now. He knew he probably should have come home before now but he was having a good time. It seemed all he felt these days was tension and when he was finally able to relax, he wanted to roll with it. He was just trying to have some fun and God knew he needed it.

He was overwhelmed almost all the time by how lucky they had been not to have had shit blow up in their face a year ago when the heists went bad. But just because they hadn't gone to jail didn't mean that things were good. Even though time had passed, he couldn't seem to shake it. Something since then had been broken and he had no idea how to fix it or even if it could be fixed. Vince was spending more and more time with his band and away from the team. Leon and Jesse had checked out both at work and at home. Mia was trying to forget that anything even happened and buried herself in schoolwork. And then there was Letty.

He and Letty were probably the most broken of them all.

She had tried to help him through everything but sometimes he felt like he didn't want her help. He didn't want her to fix things because he needed to be the one to make himself and the team whole again. In the beginning she had always been there for him even though she had gotten pretty banged up from the heist herself - something that happened because he hadn't protected her. She was following him and he had fucked things up. He had led them all too close to the edge and like enough times in the past for him to know better, he had gone too far.

After a while, it seemed easier to distance himself from her. He stopped talking to her like he used to because he couldn't stand to see the compassion in her eyes. He didn't deserve it.

Letty, in turn, didn't know what to make of Dom's behavior because he had shut down. She had tried everything she could to let him know that no matter what, she and his family were there for him. They had gone into the heists together as a team and, ultimately, Dom didn't have to take all the responsibility for how it almost went down. Dom was having none of it though. And after a while, he started drinking more and partying more, basically running from everything. It seemed like every weekend she was picking his sorry ass up from one place or another where he was passed out or was close to it. He was an annoying drunk too, argumentative and ramble-y and a pain in the fucking ass to anyone that had to deal with him. It affected everyone both at home and at work. They were all lost and their leader was the worst of everyone.

She knew she was an over-the-top bitch most of the time over Dom but she was frustrated and didn't know how to help him, if he even wanted to be helped. She had tried talking to him about how fucked up they were but he wasn't about hearing it. She had even talked to Mia and the boys about it but they didn't see any point in trying to get Dom to do what he didn't want to do. That was her territory. Letty didn't know why he was doing this to her; to all of them. Hadn't she always been there for him, even at the lowest of times? They had been there for each other, really, even when they were just friends. She was really trying but nothing was working. She had always been his cheerleader, his biggest fan, his confidante and this is where it got her.

After endless months of putting up with Dom's crap, Letty had had enough. She had yelled at him and pleaded with him and reasoned with him but nothing helped. A few weeks ago, she had even almost cried over him. She thought she had gotten through to him that time judging by the shock on his face. He had said he would try to talk but that he was too tired right then and they would do it later. Of course, later never came and they were right back where they started.

Tonight had been just as bad as all the others. They had gone to a party one of their old neighborhood friends threw for some random reason or another. Dom had completely ignored her, got trashed in record time, flirted with several skank-hoes and who knew what else before she had left with Mia in disgust. And of course, he comes dragging himself home at the crack of dawn expecting to lay his dirty ass in their bed. Enough was enough.

"Dom" Letty said quietly. "I suggest you take your sorry ass right back down to the couch. I don't want to see, hear or smell your trifling ass anywhere near this room."

Dom rolled his eyes at her. She could really be such a fucking girl sometimes. "Letty, I'm too tired for this shit. Just go to bed." He collapsed on his side of their bed and immediately felt her pushing him right off the edge and onto the floor. "What the fuck, Letty?"

"'What the fuck, Letty,'" she mimicked. It's 5:30 in the morning Dom. You're wasted and I see that you drove yourself home like an asshole."

"What? Nobody was around so I had to get home." She could tell that he wasn't as drunk as he usually was, probably because he had passed out somewhere and had the bad sense to drive home before the sun rose.

"Nobody was around because you were acting like an ass all night." Dom just waved her away dismissively and tried to pick himself up off the floor. "I'm tired of this shit Dom. You can't go on acting like this."

"Acting like what? Is this about Heather because I'm not fucking that girl. She was all over me like usual but you know I'm not trying to get with her. God, we go through this every fucking week. I'm not fucking anybody but you, is that what you want to hear."

"Gee, what a relief," Letty replied sarcastically. "It sure didn't look like it from where I was sitting. If her tits had been any farther in your face, she would have been breastfeeding you." Dom was pissing her off and although she knew she shouldn't be goading him like this, she couldn't help but react by being the bitch he expected. She didn't think he was sleeping with Heather or anyone else for that matter in the state he was usually in when he was really in a mood. But who knew what was going to happen 2 months or 6 months or a year from now. Maybe one of these days he'd feel like fucking something else up and he would finally send her over the edge by cheating on her.

"And it's not even like we're fucking now anyway," Dom added. He was exhausted and definitely not in the right frame of mind to be arguing with her but it was true that they hadn't slept together regularly in a while. If it had been the old days, he would have told her that he missed her. But that time was long gone so he continued to bury his emotions under anger and booze.

Letty looked at him sadly. "I wonder why that is Dom. You're either too drunk or too tired or too angry to sleep with anyway. What am I supposed to do? Read your mind and jump like those other skanks try to do week after week. Your reputation doesn't need all these bitches hanging on your tip all the time. You're not the king of the fucking streets anymore, Dom."

They were both speaking in anger but her words stung more than he would have ever expected, mostly because it was true. He wasn't the king of the streets anymore. He wasn't anything. All that was left of him was a fucked up disappointment that his father would be so ashamed of. Damn her for calling him out on it. The only thing he had left was to lash out at her in return.

"You know what Letty, I don't know who the hell you think you're talking to. Like you're some fucking saint. Like you're not just as messed up as the rest of us."

"Dom." His name sounded like ice coming from her mouth. The glare she was sending him was lethal. They were both on some very thin ground.

Oblivious to Letty's anger and distress in his hung-over state, Dom kept mindlessly ranting, thinking nothing of the consequences of his words. All he knew was that he hurt and unfortunately since she was the closest person to him, that meant that she had to hurt too.

"Dom, what! Who the hell are you to kick me out of my own bed in my own house. This is my fucking house and if you don't like the way I'm spending my time then you can sleep your ass on the couch. Maybe I'm tired of this shit too. Tired of you always on my case, every single fucking day. Just because your dad was a no-good drunk doesn't mean you can get on me when I have a drink." Letty let out a silent gasp that he dared to bring up her father, the source of so much hurt and anger in her life. He was the reason she had been so close to his family given that her mom was out of the picture and her dad was, more often than not, in no shape to take care of her. Dom knew this. She couldn't think of any rational reason, drunk or sober why he would ever bring that man's name into their house.

"I'm not your fucking father, Letty. But if you keep riding me maybe I'll turn into him and keep on hitting the bottle until I drink myself to death and don't have to deal with you anymore." Without realizing it he had come around the bed and steadily gotten in her face while he recklessly flung these verbal blows at her. It was like he was in a trance and couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth. But he did stop when he heard the loud crack that seemed to reverberate throughout the room.

Neither Dom nor even Letty really saw her slap coming and she didn't just stop there. When what he said really sunk in, she pushed him and punched him with as much strength as she could muster, knocking him over the bed pushing several items off the nightstand. "Fuck you Dom, fuck you," she said over and over again. Although Dom was still pretty sluggish, he had enough instinct to defend himself and when he finally realized what was really going on, he moved to grab her wrists to keep her from inflicting any more pain on him or on herself. After Dom had held her away from him for a few moments, Letty seemed to realize the gravity of what she had just done and she froze right there in his hands.

They both stared across the short distance between them like they were seeing the other for the first time; like they were some new person who happened to look like the lover they had grown up with since they were kids. Letty held her hand out and zoned in on the rapidly growing red, swollen spot across Dom's face where she had slapped and punched him. Dom couldn't take his eyes off of the tears he saw forming in her tired eyes and then streaming down her cheeks. He hadn't seen her cry in over 10 years, not since her father had died after basically drinking himself to death.

Then it all came crashing down on Dom, the drinking, the guilt, the pressure to take care of everyone and how he had been running like a bitch from his responsibilities. He had been pushing everyone away and it all came down to this night where he had hurt one of the most important people in his life who had never done anything but love him.

By this time, they had woken up the whole house. Mia was standing at the door, frozen in her spot after witnessing the last few moments. Even Leon and Jesse had staggered up from downstairs to see what all the noise was about. They hadn't seen what Mia had but they had the sense to know that something monumentally fucked up had just happened.

While Dom was trying to figure out how to fix this, all Letty could think was that she had just turned into everything she swore she would never be. She had hit Dom; beat the hell out of him as much as she could. In the years that she had known him whether it was as a friend or sibling or lover, they had never laid a finger on each other in anger. Never. But she had just gone and lost it on him. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she didn't even recognize that girl looking back at her.

"I have to get out of here," Letty whispered more to herself than anyone. All she saw in her mind was every nightmarish scene between her mother and father before her mother had finally run out on them. They would yell and then her mother would start swinging with her father pushing her right back. Then one or the other would run off and start up on the bottle. If they were thinking halfway straight, they'd take her to her grandmother's house before things got too bad. And after her grandmother had died, well, Letty had learned to make herself disappear before the shit went down.

She saw Mia and the boys from the corner of her eye and she couldn't stand to face them after what she had just done. She didn't think she'd ever be able to look Dom in the eye again. She felt like every terrible thing she had thought of her parents when they fought like that. She felt like a monster for what she had done to the man that she loved.

Dom was still holding onto her hands but Letty easily slipped out of his grasp and turned to run out of the room. "Letty, no. I'm so sorry. Please don't go, baby." Letty didn't hear anything after his apology. She couldn't believe he was saying that after she had just beaten the crap out of him. How could he love her after what she had done?

But Dom did love her and he knew her better than anyone. He knew exactly what she was thinking and he couldn't let her get away. In his pain, he had pushed her too far and he could lose her forever over this. He couldn't let that happen. He didn't know what he would have to hold onto without her in his life.

Letty turned around and tried to stop Dom from following her out of the room. "No Dom. Look what we've become. We can't go on like this. I can't go on like this. Please, I just - I just need to get out of here. I promise I'll come back but I can't right now.

Dom looked into her tear-stained face and stepped back as she ran from the room, past Mia, Jesse and Leon. They all looked at him like he was crazy for not going after her but she said she would come back and Dom knew she would. There was nothing he could do for her right now. Mia looked torn as well but resigned to the fact that both the people she loved couldn't do much for each other right then. She eased into the room and started looking Dom's face over for any serious injury. But Dom pushed her away. He needed to feel this and let it remind him of what it felt like to be at rock bottom.

TBC


	5. Crossroads

**Author's Note: I totally forget my disclaimer! I own nobody in this story but L.C. So there. Review if you're inclined. Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter Five**

Dom sat in a tucked away corner of the huge hall looking out one of the glass sliding doors that were letting in the afternoon sun. He took a long drag of his coffee, something he drank a lot of these days, and tried to figure out what the hell he was doing in the middle of the Convention Center on a Saturday afternoon at a fucking car show of all places.

This wasn't his thing. Well, cars were his thing but car shows? The ones where people lined up in auditoriums and looked at roped off concept cars? That was definitely not his cup of tea. Give him a good street car show any day. This kind of decadence was not for him.

He's made up a million excuses for why he's going along with the day's excursion: the kid really wanted to go and Jorge had a reward or two coming to him for working hard at the shop. Maybe he could make some contacts here and network a little for the sake of the garage. And if that didn't work out, he was just going to look around from afar and then go home. Curiosity and all that. But curiosity did kill the cat and this situation was definitely going to kill him if he didn't get a handle on things.

Ever since he saw that picture of Letty in the car magazine, he kept thinking about that awful day when it had all fallen apart for them. At the time, he had first sat in their room alone, thinking about what the hell had just happened. Then he slept off the lingering booze that was still in his system. He needed to be completely lucid when she came back so that when he thought of some way to explain how he was going to make things up to her, it would be enough to keep her in his life. When he thought of something.

And she had come back just like she promised. But he knew as soon as he saw her face that she wasn't coming back to him. She looked tired and aged and something he never thought he'd see in her. She looked defeated.

They had talked for a long time that day. He finally admitted that he needed to get his act together to put it mildly. There was so much that he needed to address and put behind him. But the saddest part was that she couldn't do it with him. Over the past few months, they had both turned into people that they hardly recognized. Dom was reckless and distant while Letty felt bitter and powerless. Dom was overwhelmed by his sense of responsibility to the people in his life that he loved. Letty realized that for too long, she didn't have an identity other than being Dom's girl, or at least an identity that she felt free to express. They each had to find their way and the best solution at the time, they thought, was to spend some time apart. They both needed to heal so they could move forward and since they obviously couldn't do it together, they needed to do it apart.

And truthfully, at the time, neither expected that they'd make the clean break that they did. But Dom knew now that the thing with Hector came up and Letty did what she had to do. He couldn't hate on her for that. In fact, after reading about what she'd been up to the past few years, he was damn proud of her. Maybe no one else ever suspected but he always knew that she had greatness in her.

Also, he couldn't deny that the time apart had done him some good too. He was able to see how destructive his behavior had been because he didn't have his girl as a safety net anymore. God, how he had taken that comfort for granted. He stopped drinking entirely for a while and he never did go back to having more than one or two drinks socially. And he tried to make time for his family and be a part of their life without trying to rule it. Dom laughed to himself thinking how Mia loved that change in him. When he finally let go of all the responsibility he felt over them, a lot of the guilt left too. And he realized that they were fine taking care of themselves. Well, usually they were fine. Jesse and Leon had their moments of stupidity but they knew that Dom always had their back. Not having Letty around gave him something to work towards. He had to stand on his own two feet and he always knew in the back of his mind what was at stake for him to lose if he didn't start making an effort in his life. He reflected a lot in those days after Letty left. Everyone thought he was depressed or something and maybe he was. But it helped in the long run to get better.

And here it was five years later. He had seen Hector a few times in passing over the years so he wondered why he never told him about what Letty was up to. True he never bothered to look into it himself but that was mostly because he was afraid of what he'd find out. It made him ache to think that maybe she was living a life now that she didn't want him to know about. And she'd partly be right. He really didn't want to know about her getting married or having kids, even though he figured that was highly unlikely given Letty's personality. Mainly he was afraid he'd discover that she was an entirely different person, a better person, having left him.

When he finally had done some digging on her - and there was plenty out there about her now - she mentioned that she was single and didn't date, much less have a relationship. There was some speculation that she was dating one of her team's drivers since they had shown up at some red carpet events together but that dude didn't look at all like anyone Letty would be into.

But maybe he had to accept that he would never really know her again.

So that left him here at this stupid auto show that Jorge wanted to come to because she'd be here. She was supposed to be signing autographs and that kind of shit. It made him laugh and shake his head every time he thought about it. Jorge wasn't helping matters because even though he had been given the short version of Letty and Dom's history, he was convinced that it was his turn to be Letty's man. Dom had already had his chance.

He laughed again over the goofy kid. 'Letty's gonna love him,' he thought.

Yes, he had had his chance but there would always be the question of whether they were really over. Maybe it wouldn't be answered today because he wasn't exactly feeling a reunion at the moment. This again left him thinking that it didn't explain why he was there in the first place.

He had walked around for a while letting Jorge do his thing. That kid could get excited about anything. It reminded him of Jesse back in the old days. Letty and her team weren't due until one of the later appearances which gave him plenty of time to figure out what the hell he was going to do if he actually did see her.

Or so he thought.

"If you wanna see someone in a black lace bustier then you wear it asshole!"

Dom turned at hearing a voice he had listened to a million times over the years. He had been on the receiving end of that tone on too many occasions to count. He sat up straighter when he caught sight of the familiar woman he hadn't said a word to in five years yet it felt like both yesterday and forever ago that he laid eyes upon her. She had the same flowing dark brown hair he remembered from since she was a little girl, although it was cleaner and more "primped" than he had ever seen it before. She also had on a delicious pair of snug jeans and some fierce boots that matched the leather jacket she was wearing over what definitely didn't look like a black lace bustier. She was a vision and a breath of fresh air he hadn't even been aware he craved until now. He knew that he would have some kind of reaction to seeing Letty again but he had no idea it would be this powerful or this overwhelming.

And he never would have guessed he'd be this terrified about coming face to face with her after so much time.

He needn't have worried though because the couple passed right by him without a second glance.

"Letty, it's just one appearance," the young, attractive man beside her said in a heavy accent.

Letty scoffed at the comment. "You say that every time you try to get me to go along with one of your dumbass stunts. You can kiss my ass. I'll wear whatever the fuck I want and if you don't like it you can sit out of this." The man sighed and appeared to give up whatever wardrobe crusade he had been fighting against her. "And don't even think of sitting next to me at the signing. This little front we've got going on needs to run its course. I'm tired of answering questions about you. I'm tired of answering questions period, but if I gotta do it, I sure as hell don't want anymore people basically asking if we're fucking and how much."

The man laughed at Letty's comment, giving no indication that she intimidated him at all. In the interest of being inconspicuous, Dom had to swallow his sudden urge to punch him in the face.

"Aw Leticia, you hurt me, you know that, _cara_?" He gave her a playful shove but Letty was clearly in no mood to put up with him.

"I'm sure. There'll be enough bitches all over you to make you feel better. Your sob story is lame."

Dom could hear the man's chuckle fade away as the two turned the corner and disappeared from sight. He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and hung his head down as the tension slowly left him. She had been so close and he was nowhere near ready to confront her. He thought he had more time to think of something to say if he indeed said anything to her. He didn't know if he should surprise her or try to catch her eye as soon as she finished her autograph signing. No, those wouldn't work-Letty hated surprises. Maybe he could send Jorge with a note. But knowing the kid, he'd be so nervous he'd more likely screw that up.

He rubbed his hands over his bald head and laughed lightly at his indecision. Only a woman like Letty could do this to him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Letty stopped suddenly as Sergio continued to do everything in his power to get on her nerves. She agreed to do one event with him a few months ago and now he thought she was his personal escort. She'd kick him in the balls if he weren't such a good racer. Besides, he was pretty harmless and occasionally he was good for a laugh.

Sergio noticed that Letty was no longer beside him and turned to see what was keeping her. They were a little early for their appearance but since no one was looking for them, he'd convinced her to take a short turn around the auto show to see what's out there. "What's wrong, _cara_?"

"Stop calling me that! And you wonder why people think we're fucking." She usually didn't mind his little pet name for her but using it in public was a whole other thing. And also, she didn't want him to distract her from what she thought she just saw around the corner.

She knew there was a possibility that one of these days she'd run into Dom. She wasn't in L.A. often but when she was, it was usually for industry events and Dom's reach was still pretty wide when it came to racing. She never in a million years thought she'd see him at an auto show though. Maybe it hadn't been him at all. He hated these things and thought they were for pretentious pussies that didn't really know shit about how to handle a car. She tended to agree with him but this was her life now and she had responsibilities to her organization.

Letty poked her head around the corner to get another look at the man in case her mind was just playing tricks on her. She supposed she would never get Dom out of her system completely but when the day arrived when she started imagining him in public places, it was the day she needed to take a serious look at her mental health. But sure enough, there was no mistaking the hulking man sitting in the corner, clutching a cup of coffee and looking like his thoughts were a million miles away. She would know that face, that body, that presence anywhere. She'd run her hands along those broad shoulders, kissed every inch of that bald head and removed clothing from his strong, perfect body too many times to count. It was him alright and her body was reacting to him like it had been only yesterday that he was in her bed. She really needed to stop that train of thought. She wondered if she would ever not react so strongly to him and, even though they would probably never again be together, she secretly hoped the answer was no for the warmth she felt thinking of him.

Though there was something different about him too. He looked tense for sure but there was something more … calm about him. Maybe it was just that he was getting older like her. She wasn't prepared at all for the possibility of seeing him again but maybe it was time. Maybe he had come looking for her and that was why he was here. Yet surely he heard her walk by and didn't say anything. But that was so like Dom too, she thought with a smile. Chicken-shit when it came to dealing with his feelings.

Or maybe it really was a coincidence and he was here professionally or for some other random reason. Confronting him meant answering all of those questions about his life that had only existed in her head over the last several years. Did he have a new girl? Did he have kids? Did he still think about her or had he moved on after they parted? Maybe she had stayed away so she wouldn't have to find out any of these things and didn't have to face that she was no longer an important part of his life. When they had broken up, she had needed to find herself. But even though her journey since then had been fulfilling, it didn't mean that she wanted to forget where she had come from; or who had helped her get there.

Should she keep going and leave her past behind? It would be so easy to follow Sergio and continue with the life she could control; the life she was proud of and had built for herself.

* * *

Should he run after her and discover the woman that she is now; show her the man he had become because they had been strong enough to let go?

And there they stood at a crossroads.

TBC


	6. So Close Yet So Far

**Chapter Six**

_Four years previously..._

Letty pulled back the dingy looking comforter on the motel bed before plopping down and running the towel over her wet hair. While this room was a step up from what they were normally got, she still felt grossed out touching some of the more suspect items in the room. She felt a little better after rinsing off in the shower and cooling down. The drive to Florida had been one of their longer road trips and while she loved driving and cars, she was happy to be out from behind the wheel for a while.

Most of the other guys had gone down the block to grab a drink and wind down. As usual, she had begged off, opting to clean up and spend a quiet night in. Hector grumbled a little bit, telling her she needed to stop being so antisocial but he had let her be nonetheless. She warned him not to get too rowdy since he had a race in a couple of days and he made some stupid wisecrack about her being his mom and then quietly promised to take it easy.

She flipped through the channels for a few minutes looking for something remotely interesting to watch but came up empty. She couldn't believe how many stupid movies and sitcoms they could show at one time. So she decided to go through her things again and note if she was low on anything or needed to stock up. Since she didn't have that much stuff, it took all of five minutes and she was back to the boredom she started with.

Letty had left almost everything back in L.A., not that she really had much to begin with. When she left her house to move in with Mia and Dom, she pretty much only grabbed the few clothes that she owned and a handful of things that were even slightly meaningful from her childhood. Even though her leaving had been traumatic, it disturbed her even more how much her things over the years had integrated into "their" things. When faced with a choice, she felt like pretty much none of it was her own so she left it all behind.

She could remember vividly everyone's faces and moods and words from her last days at the Toretto house with Dom, Mia and the boys. There was sadness and shock and a fair amount of anger from everyone. There were half-hearted attempts to get her to reconsider and fearful reassurances that they would keep in touch until she returned. She never said anything of course, but in the back of her mind, she knew there was a big possibility that she'd never come back. She'd come back to L.A. perhaps but she had been so hurt when she left that she hadn't seen any hope for a return to happier times with her team. She joined Hector in his quest to be a racing star and never looked back.

Still, it was nights like these when the loneliness weighed on her. The guys she travelled with on Hector's crew were cool but they weren't anything like the family she had left behind. Hector she knew and trusted; the other guys though were another story. She didn't mean to be a cold bitch but it felt too soon to be kicking it with new people. Besides, they were still holding on to their macho attitude about a girl working on cars with them. It had been toned down considerably after they found out she really knew her shit but it was still there. What she wouldn't give to regain the comfort she had for so many years with her crew.

When she was in this kind of mood, she occasionally wondered if it was possible to give L.A. another chance. Everything still felt so broken and wrong but maybe it was because she was running away instead of standing up for what she really wanted. She had told herself as well as Dom that she needed space to figure out who she was and explore her identity without him and his ego and problems. She had said that they were no good to each other as they were. But what if that was just fear and excuses talking and not really what her heart needed?

Letty grabbed her cell phone and stared at the numbers while she thought about what to do. Her number was new but even though she was trying to sever ties, the first thing she had done after buying it was to program her team's info into it. She had barely spoken to them since she left. Leon and Vince had held on to their anger over her leaving and Jesse just didn't want to deal with it. Mia tried to stay in touch but it was hard for her too. After her schedule got busy with school and work, it was easy to let things go.

She pulled up her contacts and stared at Dom's name as if just looking at it would give her the answers she needed. Maybe enough time had gone by and she could look into that part of her heart again. Knowing Dom, he could have another girlfriend or another 5 girlfriends right now but Letty didn't want to sit there and wonder what could have been. Her heart was filled with so much pain and uncertainty and the one thing that she did know was that throughout all the tough times in her life, Dominic Toretto had made it better.

She glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. It would be early evening in L.A. Maybe he'd be closing up the garage and getting ready to go out to the races or to some neighborhood party. Maybe he wouldn't even pick up the phone not knowing that it was her. Letty closed her phone and dropped it on the bed, watching it bounce briefly on the soft mattress.

She drew her legs up and laid her still damp head against her knees, her mind still racing with possibilities and scenarios. Maybe it could be that he was hurting too and thinking of her and their past love just as she was right now. The thought filled her with something that she needed to feel; satisfaction or hope or a little bit of both.

She picked up her phone again and scrolled through the numbers until she came to his.

A loud thump and the door opening distracted Letty from her phone call and she closed her phone again as a guy from Hector's crew, Anthony, came through the door. He was cool, a little corny and a total player but he generally didn't piss her off as much as the other guys.

"Hey Letty, you still moping around? You need to come down the block with us. Pete is seriously trippin' over this waitress and making a complete fool of himself. It's hilarious, not to be missed." He walked over to his bag and pulled out a t-shirt along with an extra pair of socks. "Don't ask," he said heading off her question. "Or better yet, come look for yourself. The situation is out of control funny."

Letty smiled thinking about stupid Pete and his craziness. He was always making some kind of chauvinist comment to her trying to overcompensate for his "petite" body type. It was a total Napoleon complex. But the kid was fun to laugh at when he was making a fool out of himself. But she didn't think she'd be very good company tonight. Well, she usually wasn't very good company but today especially. She wasn't in the mood to hang out.

"Naw man, I think I'll chill here. It's been a long day you know."

Anthony zipped up his bag and sat at the end of the bed with his spare articles of clothes. "C'mon Letty. It's been 9 months. You've got to be warming up to us by now." Letty looked skeptical but Anthony just laughed. "Besides, Hector just got a call from some hot-shit investor in Europe or something. Says he wants to talk to Hector about an investment in him. Seems he's been impressed with the big guys showings lately."

"No shit?" Letty said with interest. This was certainly a development. Nobody really thought about where they were going with this whole racing thing but this sounded major.

"Yeah dude. He'll be at the race this week to talk. It sounds like a big deal. You should come out and celebrate with us."

"I don't know, man." Letty thought it was a big deal too but she had just showered and there was still enough time to call out to the west coast if she wanted to have a long conversation.

"Hey, girl," Anthony said getting her attention again. "Listen, I don't claim to know what you came from out of L.A. Hector's cool with you and you know your stuff so you're cool with me too. But you gotta choose to be here. You can't keep running with us and keeping yourself at a distance. If we're going to take this to the next level, we're gonna need all of your commitment. And that means trusting us and being part of a real team."

Letty blanched at that, thinking of her old team back in L.A. and all they had meant to her. Was she ready to put it all behind. Five minutes ago she had been about to call Dom and practically beg to come back. It all seemed so meaningless this traveling and running but now she wasn't so sure. If what Anthony was saying was true, she wasn't even trying to make something of herself. She had wondered if she would regret turning her back on a future with Dom if she continued on with her path with Hector's team but if she went back to L.A. now, would she always wonder what could have been anyway?

Damn, life was complicated.

Anthony, seeing her internal struggle, threw his balled up pair of socks at her to lighten the mood. "Eww," Letty screamed and threw them right back to him. "Alright, alright, I'll come out. Just keep your stank clothes to yourself." Anthony nodded at her request and pulled her up off the bed so she could throw on some shoes and join him.

Letty grabbed her phone and held it for a few moments before putting it in her pocket. By the time she closed the door to the motel room, she was already thinking about what kinds of upgrades they could make if some rich European investor were to foot the bill.

* * *

Dom sat on the old couch in Edwin's house half listening to Jesse explain to a couple of racer friends his new ideas for some decal designs. Vince was across the room trying to sweet talk a pretty blonde and Leon had long since disappeared upstairs with a couple of girls.

He was relaxed and having a good time. He was still nursing his one beer he had allowed himself and it was nice to just sit back and watch the crowd without having to be the center of it.

After Letty had left, he had taken a long, hard look at his life and he was disgusted by what he saw. He had been a borderline drunk and all-around ass who wasn't taking care of his responsibilities and expecting his family to pick up the slack. In hindsight, he could see the strain he had put on everyone and it filled him with sharp regret. He had been so overwhelmed with everything that had happened after the heists but even now it felt like a hazy dream. He had pushed his anxiety so far down into himself that he found it hard to make sense out of anything during that time. But he had a stark reminder every day when he went to the shop and she wasn't there underneath a car or off in some corner of the shop tweaking something or another. She wasn't at home when he wanted to chill out and hold her in front of the television. And she wasn't in his bed at night for him to watch as she went to sleep or to wake up to every morning.

He had fucked that up royally and everyone knew it.

He didn't expect to talk to her after she left since she had made it clear she needed to find out who she was without him. He had agreed to it of course but in his heart he still hadn't accepted it. He would sometimes hear a slip from Mia about how she was doing but for the most part, he had heard nothing about her new life. The guys didn't really talk to her for their own reasons and truth be told, he didn't want to hear it anyway. It just got him worked up all over again about how badly he had screwed their relationship up. She had blamed herself for it but Dom knew they had both contributed, him moreso than her. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over. If he could fix himself, maybe they could work towards fixing their relationship too-if she was willing. He had no way of knowing what she wanted but maybe it was time to call her and find out. No one would notice if he bailed on the party early and he could be back at the house and potentially on the phone with her in 20 minutes tops.

Suddenly, he felt the couch shift and saw Vince settle in next to him having ditched the blonde in favor of another beer. Vince had been dealing pretty well with Letty's absence. He had been angry at first that she wouldn't stick around and work things out but seeing how far Dom had come, he couldn't help but think she had made the right decision to leave for both their sakes. He missed her of course. She was like a little sister to him. But he wasn't blind and he had seen the ways that she and Dom had hurt each other in those last days.

He had been pissed when Letty left, mostly because he had known it was inevitable. When he thought back on it, it was an unspoken and uncomfortable truth that if Letty and Dom hadn't worked out, it would leave Letty on the outside looking it. He thought it would never come to that but life was a bitch it seems. They had all taken their friendships for granted. It didn't feel good that Letty had drifted away from them. After the anger subsided, it just felt too awkward to reach out and the next think you know, it's a year later and no contact. Mia still talked to her sometimes but then again, he hadn't heard any news in a while so who knows.

But Dom was still here and he was his best friend, had been since they were kids. He didn't know shit about relationships but he had thought Dom and Letty would be together forever. With Letty gone and Dom still recovering from whatever the hell went down, it seemed too late for them now. Vince didn't want to see his best friend wasting his life away waiting around for something that may never happen.

"Hey brotha, you need to get in on some of this action. That girl Brittney that I was kicking it with? She says that she's got a friend that's been eyeing you all night. It might not hurt to see what she's got." Vince was hoping Dom would take the girl up on her offer but wasn't surprised when he saw Dom lightly shaking his head.

"Naw man, I'm good. I'm not looking for any drama tonight."

"Who said anything about drama? I'm talking about a fine woman and some companionship."

"Fine, you say? Have you seen her?" Dom asked with a playful grin. Vince didn't look completely sober and he didn't know if he should trust his judgment on women even on a good day.

Vince looked confused for a moment and then dismissed Dom's comment. "No, but I'm sure she's hot. Brittney doesn't have any friends who aren't hot. Believe me I know," he added with a wink.

"Ok, that's a great endorsement for this girl," he said with a laugh. "It's cool though. I'm not here to hook up."

"Maybe you should be," he replied before checking himself. "I mean-"

"Yeah, what the fuck do you mean saying something like that?" Dom wasn't exactly pissed per se but he wasn't pleased with Vince getting all up in his intimate business.

"Listen man, I'm your friend, have been since the fourth grade. I'm telling you, she's been gone for a year. You need to get back in the game because I don't think she's coming back."

"You don't know that," Dom said softly. It's not that Vince's words weren't registering, it was just that he didn't know if he was prepared to accept it. Just a few minutes ago, he was thinking of going back to the fort and calling her. He had her new number. He had gotten it from Mia and it was in his phone. He didn't know where she was but he didn't think it would be too late to give her a ring under the guise of checking up on her.

"No, I don't know and that's the point. You know I love that girl like my own family but you need to let her go. She left so she can make herself better and you should do the same."

"I have made myself better," Dom countered in annoyance.

"I know and I'm proud of you for it. I know shit was hard on you and things weren't looking good for a while there." He paused not knowing how far he should push his old friend. "I just don't want you to sit around and wait for something that might not happen. Life is going on man. You can't let it pass you by thinking the past is gonna ride around again."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Dom took a long drag of his beer and then set it on the table, seemingly done with it for the night. Vince grabbed it and finished it off. There were no hard feelings; Vince was just trying to be a good friend the only way he knew how. And maybe he was right. He hadn't heard anything from Letty about even coming back to L.A.; no one had, not even Mia. He had come a long way since the last time he had seen Letty. Maybe it was time to see if he could move forward in other parts of his life too.

"So what's this girl's name?" he asked Vince, leaning back with a nervous smile.

TBC


	7. Show and Tell

**Author's Note: We're heading towards the last stretch. Just a few more chapters to go and we'll know what becomes of our two heroes in the AU I created for them. When I started this story, it was meant to be only 4 chapters but thanks to my great beta, some reflection and some truly helpful input from you all, I've been able to turn it into a more complete story than I thought (and more true to what was in my head when I dreamed this up). Thanks for that and for continuing to read. I'll try to keep my pace up as we stroll towards the finish line. **

**Chapter Seven**

Dom sighed and leaned his arms against his knees hoping to get the courage to either go after Letty or get the hell out of this place where he could run into her at any moment. The problem was he didn't exactly know which he was going to end up doing. On the one hand, he could go after her and take her by surprise. But surprising her would likely result in pissing her off and starting this whole reunion thing off on the wrong foot. Then again, she was always so adorable when she was pissed over him having the upper hand.

No, he had to stop thinking like that. He was already really disgusted with himself. When was he ever one to cut and run? He was probably going to kick himself no matter what he decided so he may as well get off his ass and do something.

Dom pushed himself out of the chair only to come face to face with trouble herself. It looked like the decision was made for him. That's him and Letty alright.

Letty hated to admit it to herself and she would certainly never admit it to another human soul, but she had been terrified to take those few steps over to where Dom was sitting. A million different thoughts were running through her mind. He might be angry with her or surprised. The worst possibility was that he was simply indifferent to seeing her. She had had such a strong reaction to seeing him again but it didn't necessarily follow that he'd feel the same after all this time. But then why was he here looking all stressed out?

After dismissing Sergio to go do his own thing, she only knew she had to stop whining about the possible disasters this could be and just do something or crawl back from where she came. And Letty had never been one to back down from anything. So she had slowly strolled over to the man with whom she had spent so much of her life. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of him with her arms crossed and her head cocked up and to the side in amused defiance.

If she was going to confront him after not speaking for five years, she sure wasn't going to do it looking like a bitch.

Dom hadn't known what to expect if he was to see his former lover again but he was relieved that it wasn't anger or fear on her face but a kind of guarded yet casual curiosity. She was currently wearing the same expression she always had when he was being a punk about something. God, he had missed that look.

"Looking for somebody?" A slight, cocky smile spread across her face as she reveled in catching him off guard. Dom could do nothing but blink in shock and grin back at her. He could feel a tightness in his stomach that he only ever got around her. The warmth of it seeped into his chest where his rapidly-pumping heart was going a mile a minute. The thrill of it was a surprisingly welcome sensation. She really knew how to hit him in the gut without even trying.

Dom was speechless for a few moments until he realized that she was probably expecting an answer from him. To her credit, she just stood there staring at him, popping her gum and clearly soaking up the fact that she had him completely off his game. He couldn't let that go on for too long.

"I was," Dom replied, inwardly thinking that it was only half true but she didn't have to know that. Apparently, it had been the right thing to say because she smiled a little wider at his attempts to appear cooler than what he really felt. They both knew he was a nervous wreck but it was nice that she didn't call him on it…yet. "You know, I was in the neighborhood and one of the kids at the shop wanted to stop by so…"

"Yeah?" Letty asked skeptically. Dom shrugged not giving anything away. Everything about him was the same but different. There was the same bald head and muscled stature, the same charming grin and authoritative attitude. But there was a calmness that she had never known him to have. Maybe it came with age, or she thought sadly, the influence of someone new in his life. She had no right to speculate on that after all this time.

Her smile faltered a bit and she looked down uncertainly. "It's good to see you," she admitted. It was out of her mouth before she even realized it but it was the truth. It had been a shock to actually see him even though she always knew it was a possibility when she was in town. She used to fear it but it was good to know that she was at a place where it didn't frighten her enough to avoid confronting her past.

Dom's delight was instantaneous at hearing her simple declaration. Suddenly, if felt like coming here wasn't as colossally a bad idea as he had originally thought. "You too," he returned, looking back at her a bit coyly as well. It had been so sudden to hear of her new life and then actually have her standing in front of him. But no matter what came of it, it was a good thing; a great thing actually. It looked like they had finally grown up.

In what felt like slow motion, Letty uncrossed her arms and stepped forward, moving to embrace the man that she had held so many times before in so many different ways. Instinctively, Dom reached for her at the same time and felt her mold to him perfectly, fitting as neatly as they always had; like no time had passed at all. They both felt the years between. Their lives had moved on separately but in a moment of reconnection, none of that separation mattered. They were more than former lovers or former friends. Even after everything, they were family.

They stood there basking in the comfort of each other, feeling only affection coming from the most familiar of strangers in their arms. After several long moments of holding each other easily, Letty reluctantly pulled away and stood back to really get a thorough, updated view of him. Damn if he still didn't look like a god in his stylish jeans and simple, deliciously fitted t-shirt. Dom laughed lightly and held out his arms for her to get a good look. "Should I turn around for you too," he suggested, amused by her perusal.

He was rewarded by her deep, throaty laugh. "Sure. I'm never one to turn away from a good view." He turned slowly and dramatically for her while she made great pains to look him up and down. "It's good to know that you didn't let yourself go in your old age."

Dom was enjoying the quick return to their usual flirty banter from the old days, even before they were together as a couple. She'd always tease him about being old and he'd, in turn, heckle her about being a kid. After he found himself going to second base with her, he couldn't use that joke as convincingly as he used to.

"I'd get you to do a turn for me but I've already seen a few good views of you lately." He had taken to staring at her recent photo spread pretty often. He was sure if he hadn't been afraid of looking like a horny, lovesick teenager, he might've put her picture up on his wall. Jorge was bad enough on that front as it was.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again self-consciously but she seemed more dismissive than angry. "I bet you did. I'm never doing one of those bullshit photo shoot sessions again."

"I don't know," he shot back with a serious expression. "I could get used to it. I get to keep tabs on you and I get a few good pictures to tuck away." He hadn't said anything accusatory but his words did emphasize the time and distance that hung over their relationship. He hadn't meant to bring them down but it seemed they were both having a somewhat pensive moment considering how different things were now.

"I liked the article actually," Dom added trying to break the awkward silence.

Letty looked away again, never one to take a compliment well. But she had a small grin on her face. "Yeah, it was alright. The journalist who wrote it was cool so I guess that made a difference."

They were silent again, not sure where they should go from here. What do you say after going five years without seeing the person you thought you'd spend your entire life with? The curiosity about each other's lives was a stark tension between them but did they really want to know? Would this be the beginning of another phase of their friendship or just the beginning of the end?

Letty hadn't had a plan when she came strolling over to confront Dom and now she was at a loss about what she wanted. Everything in her screamed to know every last detail of his life for the years they were apart but there was also the fear of wondering if he had felt her absence the way she had felt his. She felt a little pathetic about it, realizing that she hadn't put as many of those feelings behind as she thought. Sure she had moved on, and had kept on moving to keep herself busy. She didn't regret that. But Dom was a pull in her life that she had seldom been able to ignore. This was a chance to test her strength and the bond of their friendship. Or perhaps it was a chance to close a chapter in her life for good. She didn't know what she wanted and she sure as hell had no idea what he was thinking. The realization of that disconnect saddened her.

Dom couldn't take the not knowing anymore. Five years ago, he hadn't stepped up as a friend or a man. His attempts to hide from the world hadn't lost him everything but he'd certainly lost something important. It had been hanging over his head without him even knowing it. Seeing Letty standing in front of him right then-looking self-assured and beautiful and, dammit, independent-made this seem all the more apparent.

"I know you've got shit to do later but do you maybe want to hang out for a little bit. Maybe we can walk around or something and catch up?" Letty smiled, only allowing a small amount of relief to show in her expression. If he wanted to talk, that said a lot. All she had to do was agree and perhaps she'd get the answer to some of the uncertainty she was feeling right now.

But her smile was quickly replaced with a frown as she thought about what he had just offered. She reluctantly shook her head to decline. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Dom's heart fell at that. But he had put himself out there. He couldn't expect that she would be in a place to just welcome him with open arms. Even if that dude she had been walking with wasn't her man, there was nothing to indicate that she didn't have one somewhere. And the situation had been so messed up when they had ended things.

But Letty put her hand gently on his arm. "No, I just meant we shouldn't go walking around. I'm sure some jerk wanting to talk to my boobs might interrupt or something. I don't want to have to kick anybody's ass today. This is a new jacket and all." Her cocky smile only elicited an equally bright one on his face.

"We couldn't have that then," he said in mock seriousness, leaning into her slightly. Her gentle touch to his arm turned into a punishing nudge before she pulled away from him reluctantly. Although he certainly wasn't going to tell her this, he didn't want to have to kick anybody's ass either and he would definitely go there if he had to watch some punk drooling over her. For the moment at least, Letty was all his. He grinned down at her as she led them the way she had come in. "So you're saying you want me all to yourself, Leticia?" He couldn't help himself. His joy at getting to be with her again, even if for only a little while, couldn't be contained.

"Ooooh, no you don't Toretto! Don't start with that 'Leticia' shit. It hasn't been that long and you should know better." Nobody could push her buttons like this man, she thought to herself.

Dom raised his arms in surrender as they made their way out the door. "Okay, fine. How about we go sit outside and we can hang out where no one is going to take me away from you, just in case," he continued. It was funny considering Letty's past possessive streak but also ironic because it was likely to be the other way around given her current minor fame.

"Fine, but if anybody asks, I'm telling them you're my bodyguard."

"Ha, no problem! These car show pussies better watch out," he said puffing out his chest a little more and punching his hand with his fist dramatically.

Letty rolled her eyes at him but laughed. "Some things never change. You still hate car shows and you're still completely full of yourself. Somebody needs to take you down a couple of pegs."

"And you're just the one to do it right? Take your best shot…"

TBC


	8. Life's Lessons

**Author's Note: I am very sorry for the long wait. I've been in and out of town for work without any good layovers to do some writing. I'll try to get another update up in a few days after my beta turns it loose. We both put this chapter together quickly so please forgive my mistakes and typos. I will work on fixing them soon. Thank you again to all who are reading.**

**Chapter Eight**

_Approximately 3 months previously..._

Dom threw his keys on he closest flat service and switched the lights on. Thankfully, the weather had been cool all week and the garage wasn't too hot. It'd be best for him to open up the sliding doors and air the place out for a while but that wasn't going to happen. They would just have to deal.

The woman followed behind him cautiously taking in the surroundings and feeling more than a little out of place in the dim, unfamiliar room. They had just spent the afternoon together, mostly talking about nonsense stuff but now it was time for them to take things to the next level.

"Thanks for brining me here," the woman said. "I heard you don't just bring anybody back to home base." He could tell she was nervous. Hell, it wasn't the most comfortable of scenarios for him either. But he had promised himself he'd get through this and it wasn't turning out to be the chore he thought it'd be. She wasn't so bad and when he was done with her, he'll have paid back a favor to get an old friend off his back.

"It's cool," he responded casually. He waved her over to couch that was still in surprisingly good condition after having lived in the grubby garage for the past three years. She declined the seat in favor of moving towards the few cars that littered the large room.

He smiled at her curiosity but they weren't at a place yet where he could just give her the tour of all his toys and tricks. And they were definitely not starting things off on any of the cars. She was nowhere near that skilled. Besides, he couldn't have her thinking that she was the one in charge here. She was on his turf-he had made sure she hadn't forgotten that fact all afternoon. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist that you take a seat," he said plopping down on the couch himself and laying his arm along the back. He nodded towards the collection of cars that she had been admiring. "All in good time, sweetheart, but we have some unfinished business to attend to don't we?"

The woman turned her quizzical gaze towards him, tearing herself away from examining the striking restored muscle car sitting menacingly along the far wall of the garage. She reluctantly took a seat beside the attractive, charismatic man that had shown her such a good time all day. "I'm all yours, Mr. Toretto," she sweetly drawled making them both grin in response. She took off her fitted hoodie to reveal a modest but attractive tank top underneath that worked quite well with the loose fitting cargo pants she was sporting for their rendezvous.

She wasn't bad-looking if you liked your girl to seem as if they had more than a few brain cells to rub together or if you wanted people to think you were in a mature relationship. She was a thicker woman than he was used to having in his company but that was fine too. A voluptuous woman wasn't a bad thing in his book and he wasn't one to deny an appreciative glance to a girl with nice assets. Of all the women he'd met, she wasn't the most knowledgeable about cars. Even though it had been years since she left, he never doubted that Letty would always hold that title. But this woman had come a long way in a short amount of time and he was impressed. And he supposed since she had put in a little extra effort to get to know him, he could return the favor by doing what he did best. From everything he knew about her, she seemed to be game for it.

"You might regret saying that," Dom replied with a quiet intensity. He reached back over his shoulder and turned the music player on. Soft soul music came out of the speakers, not loud enough to disturb them but with enough volume to blend into the background. Dom gently nodded his head to the beat of the music and turned back around, stretching his arm once again along the back of the couch towards her. "Now we're talking. You ready for me, Jones?"

L.C. Jones chuckled at her companion's ego, not really shocked by the large size of it, and pulled out her notebook. "You really do think you're that cute, don't you?"

"I know I'm that cute," Dom confidently shot back. "But I'm guessing you're not biting today?" Even though they had been corresponding for only a short time, they had a comfortable rapport born of compatible temperaments and the reality that their collaboration would be a short one. He may not be trying to get into her pants, but he wasn't above shameless flirting. And by virtue of him helping her out, he thought she was obligated to put up with him.

Jones had taken an assignment that was worlds away from anything she'd ever written about before. After leaving her newspaper job, she had been freelancing for a few months when she had come across this crazy kid and his decked out car while working on a story. Through him and his friends, she had become fascinated with cars, or more specifically, people's relationships with their cars. So after finishing her last project, she took a job with one of the leading car magazines and found herself in this whole new environment of which she hadn't a clue how to navigate. When she was getting her feet wet and working on a relatively minor assignment, she had run across a wholesaler for car parts who, after hearing about her interest, recommended that she hook up with the man next to her: Dominic Toretto. If she wanted to understand the world of cars and racing in L.A., he was the one to talk to. It had taken her a few months but he had finally agreed to talk to her-just in time for her biggest assignment with the magazine so far. She was right in the middle of working on an article on the Circuit and even though Dom was an expert at street racing rather than professional racing, the information he possessed was extremely valuable to her understanding of her subject.

Dom hadn't been too interested in getting together with her at first but his wholesaler contact Bobby, who he had been getting parts from for years, was a long-time friend of his and had put in a good word for the journalist. It didn't help that he owed Bobby a favor after he had pulled some important strings and rushed some parts that Dom needed to fill a big job. He had agreed to speak with this L.C. Jones fully intending to sort of blow her off. But after an hour of experiencing her genuine interest, he figured he could give her a few hours of his time and expertise. That the magazine she worked on threw in a few perks definitely helped the situation.

Plus, she was pretty funny and they had been having more than a few good laughs along the way. She had a biting, sharp sense of humor that he found to be a trip. And he did have to admit that it was nice to hang out with a woman free of the sexual expectations. She was definitely a bookish, intellectual type, hardly the kind of girl he had ever been interested in. And while they had jokingly flirted for laughs throughout their time together, despite her mock fears of the damage to his self-esteem, she had told him point blank that he wasn't even remotely her type.

So they had spent the better part of a week hitting up spots around the city that were of note to her research and he would tell her stories about his glory days and how things have changed since he was coming up in the scene. She'd take notes occasionally if he got into something technical but for the most part she just took it all in. She was especially interested in other people's reactions to Dom, how they deferred to him or revered him; how they hated on him or plain threw themselves at him. She had given him a good ribbing on several occasions about that.

They had made the best of their situation and Jones hoped that he would be a good future contact as she made a name for herself with her current job.

"So listen," Dom began. "If you're gonna get into this stuff, you gotta know the basics so get your pen ready and take this shit down because class is officially in session. If you do well, maybe I'll let you play with the toys in here." He pointed towards the shiny cars that had drawn her attention as soon as they walked in.

She rolled her eyes but made sure she was comfortable for the lecture nonetheless. "Yes, Professor. So let's get on with it then."

They talked for a bit about the basic structure of racing cars and what was necessary in order to maintain them. As she asked questions, he would tell her as much as he knew, correcting her when she'd get on a tangent. Then Dom branched out to explain the hierarchy that existed in southern California and Mexico and what it was like growing up loving cars as he did. He could feel the years' passage as he spoke of his father and all he had accomplished before he died. Even a few years ago, it had been painful to even mention his name. Recalling the burning and the screaming and the tears associated with the last time he ever saw his father was still painful. The shame at what came after, the part that landed him in prison, was still sharp but something he had come to terms with as he got older. It was part of him, just like all the good memories of his father and his family.

Jones was taking it all in truly interested in everything he was laying out and taking frequent notes on things she would need to later to refer. Dom never forgot to whom he was talking though. Throughout the conversation he was very careful to distance himself from Tran and the heists and all the shit that went down around that. Jones was no dummy so he didn't want her digging around where she shouldn't based on anything he had said.

After questioning Dom on the surprisingly complicated process of how neighborhood crews are formed, Jones paused and asked something that she had wondered about him for a while now. She understood that he wasn't her subject but with all he was sharing, her natural curiosity couldn't be denied. "Did you ever see yourself somewhere different than this? I mean, it seems like this life was meant for you given everything you've told me. But was there ever a time that you thought you'd be doing something else?"

Dom shook his head laughing. "Something like what?"

"I don't know. College?" Dom's laughter got even louder at that. "Hey, it's a thought!" Jones responded defensively. "Maybe you've thought of traveling? Or doing something more 'big picture' with the whole racing thing. You do own your own business. There's a bigger market than just L.A. out there."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But tell me, what's better than this? I drive fast cars, I get to hang with my friends all day and I do work that I love." It was true, he had a pretty good life. It hadn't always been this clear. Five years ago things had been falling apart for him. For a while, he had truly believed that he'd never make a life like this for himself. And in accomplishing it, he'd sacrificed so much. He still wonders if it's all worth it but those moments are a little fewer and farther between than before. He couldn't let himself dwell on what could have been with Letty.

Jones was no fool. She knew how to dig up facts and she knew how to read people. There was a lot more to Dom's dreams than he was letting on. "I sense a back story there." Her efforts to pry were completely unveiled. The initial question itself had been a nosy one so she saw no reason to hide her attempts to get more information.

But Dom remained silent. Jones was cool but they didn't have it like that. He wasn't about to spill his soul to her about lost loves and the fucked up mistakes he'd made when he was too stupid to appreciate what he had. He couldn't tell her about his dreams of lying on a beach in Mexico with Letty, not a care in the world as they frolicked in the sand, a beer in her one hand and his fingers entwined in the other. She wasn't allowed to know his visions of her in white standing beside him, or the occasional thought of a little boy or girl with her beautiful eyes.

So he settled on just looking at her innocently but stubbornly. He had no intentions of being rude but he did want to send a message that this line of questioning was over. Jones for her part wasn't intimidated in the least. That too reminded him of his Letty and he inadvertently smiled a little at that. He had thought he was over her but here he was with a feeling of warmth at even the slightest reminder of her. Pathetic. It had been five years. She wasn't his anymore.

Jones had picked up on his change in mood and the ghost of a grin that flashed across his face as he was lost in the memory of something…or someone more likely. But like a good journalist, she knew when to pick her battles. "I'll leave it alone. Maybe some other time we can talk about the one that got away." She couldn't help but nudge him just a little. He looked like he needed some encouragement anyway.

"Maybe not," he added. He hoped his expression was stern and discouraging but he had a feeling that this reporter had just picked up on a lot more than he had meant to reveal. Damn her for that.

Jones stared back at him truly assessing the man next to her, trying to see him completely for who he was. "Dom, despite you being completely not my kinda guy, no offense -" Dom waved her comment off with nonchalance. "- just in the short time I've known you, you seem like a decent guy. So despite the skeletons you have in your closet, I hope what you're doing now leads you to where you want to be." She hadn't meant to get this serious on him but the look she had seen a few moments ago, well, she had seen it before and her heart went out to him. "And whoever she is, remember that sometimes its not too late if we're really looking for a second chance."

Dom thought he must really be getting soft if this woman who he had just met, who he barely even knew, could read him like an open book. He didn't think about Letty all that often these days but he did think about her. He would see something that reminded him of her and he'd wonder what she was doing or how she was feeling. He wondered if she was happy. He wondered so many things. But he would get over it and he didn't need this shit getting stirred up in him again.

"I can't afford to wait around for second chances." He didn't even know why he had told her that. He needed to steer this conversation somewhere else. Talking about Letty was too dangerous. It's not that he wouldn't want to give things another try with her if given the chance. It was that if that chance were possible, it would have happened by now. If there was a sign, maybe he'd think about it then but he couldn't wait around forever for her to walk back into his life.

Jones could see that she had stirred up some powerful emotions in Dom and felt a little guilty about it. However, emotions that strong were meant to be confronted. He didn't have to work them out with her, but if he wanted to move forward as she was sure he was constantly insisting on in his mind and heart, then he would have to confront them sometime.

"Who said anything about waiting? We make our own destinies and you don't seem like the kind of guy to sit back and watch life happen." She didn't know why it mattered so much; why she was pushing him so hard. But it seemed important and she was only looking to help. There were people in her life that she wished she'd had a moment alone to give some advice before they had gone and screwed things up for themselves. She then remembered something he had told her in the first moments they had met. "You can live your life a quarter mile at a time but make sure you stay in the driver's seat and not on the sidelines, okay? Cruise control doesn't suit you."

They sat in silence, Dom lost in his thoughts and Jones giving him space to think them.

Was that what he was doing now? Living his life on cruise control? Dom glanced over at the woman next to him. She seemed so sure of herself and was trying to respect his space given what she had dug up. He wondered if she knew something that he didn't. It didn't matter though. Things were what they were.

"You know, I don't remember giving your permission to get all up in my business," Dom said quietly trying to lighten the mood, but also letting her know that they needed to move on in the conversation. She would be getting nothing else out of him tonight.

Jones eyed him cautiously but gave him a soft, knowing smile of understanding. "I'm a journalist Toretto. I don't ask permission to get into people's business. I just do. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds." She looked him right in the eye when she said the last part and he acknowledged her apology.

"But since I already stuck my nose in things, you still better heed my advice. It could come in handy. You wait and see." She patted his arm affectionately. "I know what I'm talking about and you look like you could use a wise, older woman to save you from yourself." For a moment, Dom was quite thankful that he didn't have an older sister like her.

"Weren't we here to talk about cars?" he said with a grin, ignoring her boastful attempts at justifying herself. They may be cool but he still thought she was a nosy bitch for bringing all that up in the first place, and she knew it. His expression changed to one of mischief as his smile turned wicked. It made Jones more than a little nervous. "Or we can chat about what 'L.C.' stands for again. I don't seem to recall you answering me the first time I asked and I'd really-"

"Cars it is," she cried out quickly, effectively cutting him off from that line of conversation. They had argued about that earlier in the day and she had no desire to revisit the subject. She returned his smile, glad that he hadn't taken offense at her prying. He might even take her advice when the opportunity presented itself. Then again, he was awfully stubborn from what she could tell. "Back to basics, Professor. But I've got one request."

Dom rolled his eyes at her, "What?" he asked gruffly.

Her eyes twinkled with excitement in clear contrast to sobering seriousness of the moments before. "Can we actually go look at the cars now? They're just sitting there staring at me and I can't wait to get a closer look." She had been eyeing them throughout their entire conversation and Dom several times had had to focus her attention back to what he was saying.

"You're such a pain in the ass. You do know that right?" But despite his harsh words, he got up and motioned for her to follow him to the other part of the garage where three of his prized possessions sat, including a restored version of his father's old car. He couldn't help being impressed by her appreciation and honestly excited to show off his babies.

He glanced over to Jones who was practically skipping alongside his long strides. He shook his head and chuckled. "You know, when I get done with you, we're going to have to get you out of that Prius. You embarrass me driving that thing."

TBC


	9. Hope and Anchor

**Author's Note: Only a couple more chapters left. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Nine**

They sat outside in the afternoon sun and talked about all of the things they had missed over the years. He told her of the garage and the store. He filled her in on Vince's band and Mia's new job. She didn't have to guess that things were business as usual with Jesse and Leon. Life was full of the usual ups and downs and petty adventures. It was nothing like they had gone through back in the day but enough to keep things interesting around the fort. It was all a relief to Letty who really had been lonely for her friends. Sure she led a flashy life full of hotel suites and fancy parties along with the hard work she put into her job. But it couldn't compare to the not-so-quiet life that her old friends were living without her. She was glad they were doing good and living well.

Dom even filled her in on Jorge which came out as more of a warning about his near obsession with her. He told her that the boy reminded everyone of Jesse back in the day so he was pretty much coddled by Mia and the guys. This led to her talking about Hector and what life on the Circuit was like and all the asshole guys who would give her the same shit she had heard on the streets a hundred times before. Dom listened to all her stories with a good ear, inserting a joking comment when necessary. He tried unsuccessfully to hide his pride at the woman she was now. She had given up everything she'd known, all her comforts and friends and reputation and turned it into something better. It became more and more apparent how empty part of his life was while she was gone, despite being surrounded by friends and family and the familiar. But he couldn't begrudge her all that she had accomplished. The woman he had known and loved forever had become even more of a badass than he had ever imagined.

Their conversation slowed and they just sat there for a while watching the people pass, talking of this car or that demonstration. It was relaxed and comfortably familiar. They were both happy to have found each other again on such good terms. It could have gone so terribly horrible but it was a testament to the growth that they had both experienced over the years that they could find a way to reconnect without digging up old wounds. Still, the question hung in the air: what next?

"How's the mirror looking these days?" Dom asked quietly.

They both recognized the real question he was asking. When she had left and Dom had asked her when she was coming back, she had responded that she'd come back when she could look at herself in the mirror again and not want to punch it. She was being too hard on herself, he thought. He had been in a bad place and she had followed right behind. She certainly hadn't blamed herself for everything but she had told him candidly that she had to start taking responsibility for her life; to stop living through him and their family. Her actions that day had only proved how far astray from herself she had become when she could hurt the people that she loved most in the world.

If anything, he had provoked her into lashing out. But he couldn't convince her of that. She still had the mental scars to remind her of what she had done to him.

Letty didn't really know how to answer Dom's question. In all seriousness, she hadn't thought about that conversation in a while. Back when she had first left, she had thought about it everyday and then one day, she had gotten so busy that she just didn't. And then she figured if she worked herself hard enough, she could forget about the person she had become that night. It was a major epiphany for Letty to realize that five years later, she could look at herself in the mirror again and had been doing so for a while. It was a bittersweet discovery.

She looked him in the eye believing that he deserved her direct attention when she answered him. "I think the mirror's looking okay these days. I had my doubts that it ever would but…" She didn't need to continue. Dom knew exactly what she was talking about. In a bold move he gently took her hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze, hoping to communicate his support and satisfaction at hearing of her healing. She didn't pull away which was a relief but not knowing her boundaries, he let go of her hand and continued to look out towards the passing convention-goers.

It wasn't lost on Letty that Dom had changed for the better as well. She had once known him better than anyone else and although she might not hold that title anymore, there were things about Dominic Toretto that she would never get out of her system. She picked up on how happy he seemed to be to hear about her new life and she, in turn, was happy for him. Looking back, he had been so vulnerable and unsure of himself when she had left. Back then, he hid behind his bravado to get through each day but the man sitting next to her was self-assured and confident without putting on a front. He seemed comfortable in his own skin and so much like the man she had grown up loving so long ago. And he had gotten there without her.

They had spent so much of their past completing each other but it looked like the separation had done them both some good. From the outside looking in, now it seemed as if they hadn't actually been each other's better half but a distraction from the better person that they had the potential to be.

Letty's reply to his very loaded question had left Dom confused and hopeful but about what, he couldn't put his finger on. He thought back to that journalist he'd hung out with a few months back. She'd ribbed him about second chances and not living his life on cruise control. Was this his sign; was it his second chance? Or was knowing that he could thrive without her-that they could thrive without each other-an indication that the past should remain as it was. He didn't know what he wanted from her or from these couple of hours that they had spent together. But he wanted some time and opportunity to find out.

"So how long are you in town," Dom asked tentatively. "I know you're busy being hot shit and all but if you don't mind being seen with us nobodies..." Letty chuckled at his joking characterization and his voice softened as he continued. "I'm sure the boys and Mia would lose it if you were able to stop by."

"Shut up," Letty said gently, shoving him playfully with her shoulder. She looked over and smiled warmly at the thought. She tilted her head, squinting her eyes as she contemplated the prospect of a mini-reunion with her old team. "I-"

"_Cara_! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

Letty appeared to cringe at the interruption and the interrupter alike. "I told you to stop calling me that and I've been right here the whole time, jerk."

Dom managed to suppress his grin at Letty's annoyance. He also couldn't deny his bristling at hearing this polished European loser calling Letty by personal endearments, and Italian ones no less. At least she looked sincerely pissed about it

"Well, you should watch the time since we're on in 5 minutes. I thought maybe you'd gone to pretty yourself up but then I remembered that you are perfection, my beauty."

Dom did laugh enthusiastically at hearing that. This buster was too much. Letty glared in his direction and although he dropped his reaction down to a chuckle, he couldn't help but be amused. If it were back in the old days, he was sure this guy would be laid out right now under Letty's boot.

"Shut up," she said to Sergio and turned to Dom daring him to say one word. He got the hint and kept his mouth shut. She turned her back to Sergio in annoyance and faced her old friend squarely. She was disappointed at the interruption but resigned to the fact that she needed to take her leave so she could get to work. This was about her paycheck after all and she was nothing if not a complete professional these days.

"Hey, I gotta get outta here and go put on a show for the bosses," she explained apologetically. Dom's gaze didn't leave hers as he nodded in understanding. They both felt the time running out on them.

"It's cool," he replied nonchalantly. She hadn't given him an answer to his question and he tried not to seem too rejected. If she wanted to keep on with her life as is, he couldn't really blame her for that. He could hope but he wouldn't push her; not anymore. He hoped he didn't look too pathetic in his disappointment though.

Letty turned toward Sergio and grabbed some stuff out of his hands that he had been loaded down with. She wondered how he got stuck carrying all the swag. Their PR person must have put him up to it. Sergio had been trying to get in her pants for weeks now-what a whipped loser. She took a moment to scribble some words quickly across the front of her flyer and handed it to Dom.

"Hey man, it was good seeing you. Take it easy okay?" She told herself the disappointment in his eyes wasn't imagined and that made it even harder for her to go. She knew he wasn't going to stand in line to see her so an autographed copy of her press photo didn't seem out of order. This was better anyhow. Dom would just have to make do. She couldn't solve everything.

And just like that Dom watched her rush away with her co-worker slash sometimes date. Letty pushed him along while he no doubt continued to flirt and otherwise invite some serious hurt from her. Dom clutched what he quickly identified as her press photo tightly in his hand and continued to stare after her.

So that was it.

He knew it wasn't fair to expect more from her but dammit he was realizing that he had wanted more anyway. He had put himself out there in a big way although it was only now that he admitted it to himself. He had made excuses for himself for days leading up to this afternoon. As the disappointment and longing set in, he was starting to think that coming out here hadn't been a good idea at all.

But Dom wasn't one to sit and sulk anymore these days - well, not much anyway. He got up determined to find Jorge so they could jet. No doubt the kid had been first in line to ogle Letty so the wait shouldn't be too long before he could get out of there and back to the fort to figure out what the hell had just happened to him.

He went back into the building and rounded the corner that led to the showroom. Just like he had guessed, there was Letty and her racer friend sitting at a table signing autographs and playing nice for the fans. All the dudes in line were seriously checking Letty out of course, although she wasn't giving them much to look at. She had shed her jacket to reveal a simple sleeveless blouse. It was nothing too revealing or showy. He still thought she looked hot as hell but maybe that was just because he could still remember what she smelled like and how she would look if he slipped the light piece of fabric off her body. That was ancient history though and he tried not to get too angry over all the attention she drew. Old habits did die hard, even after five years.

Jorge was right at the beginning of the line practically bouncing up and down in his excitement to get to Letty. He hoped the poor kid didn't try to jump her and get his ass thrown out by security. That would be kind of funny though. He saw the kid go up to Letty and she must of known instantly who he was because her face lit up in that beautiful way he remembered all too well. She didn't even seem to mind all the stammering Dom was sure Jorge was doing at the moment.

He then remembered the photo in his hand and thought that if it was the last thing he had of her then at least he was glad she looked pretty good in it. He instantly recognized Letty's crazy scrawl and although he thought she had just signed her name to it, she had actually written a short message:

_To My Biggest Fan, _

_The Ritz-Carleton #2805 for when you're done sulking. We can go from there. _

_Letty  
_

* * *

Letty glanced over at the brooding man skulking on the outskirts of where she now sat. He looked confused and distant, no doubt thinking she'd blown him off. He'd deny it until his last breath but he was such a drama queen. She shook her head as she leaned over to hand out another autograph. She gave a once-over to the excited kid now practically running over to her and figured that this was the new guy Dom had told her about. She couldn't help but smile at his manner and the funny way he stammered through an introduction. He reminded her so much of Jesse in the old days too.

When she hazarded a glance back over to Dom, she saw him reading her note and felt her heart jump with excitement. It had been an impulsive move on her part but she thought it was the right one. Her nerves were alive in anticipation of meeting his gaze but there were no promises in her heart, only hope. It was a hope that, despite the logic of her new life, she longed for him to share.

* * *

After reading Letty's note, Dom's eyes were rounded with shock but then he instantly recovered and looked up to see Letty staring back at him with laughter in her eyes and something a little bit more. He returned her grin.

Her biggest fan. Got that right.

TBC


	10. Full Circle

**Author's Note: Yes, I know, I know. It's been a long time. I've re-written this thing too many times to count but sometimes you have to just pull the trigger. This ended up being much longer and more detailed than I originally planned. But I do hope that you enjoy this and the next two chapters. **

**Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed and harassed and encouraged me to get back on this horse. I and my muse welcome all of it. Seriously, you all are wonderful.**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Full Circle

_Two Years Later..._

Everything had settled down nicely for the afternoon. It had been nuts a few hours ago but a laid-back lunch had been eaten with only a couple of minor interruptions. Drinks had been poured and now it was time to get down to business.

The black tape recorder stood on the table between the two women as it had only a couple of short years before. But this time, it wasn't such a daunting symbol of uncertainty but an amusing reminder of life coming full circle. Letty and Jones had stayed in touch casually, a checking in here and there. It was comforting for both of them to have a contact in the other's world and it had come in handy a few times. When the time came for another in-depth story on Letty, there was only one person she would have involved.

"Seems like old times," Jones said breaking the comfortable silence. Letty looked around the room and laughed.

"Same old, same old right?" This time they both chuckled.

Jones picked up her glass and took a lingering sip of her beer. "It's a good thing that something feels familiar since it sounds like things are about to change for you real quick."

Letty nodded in agreement, still laughing. "You're telling me. If you had told me a couple years ago that I'd be sitting here like this, I would have beat you down."

Jones pretended to consider that for a few moments. "Yeah, you probably would have," she said casually.

Letty rolled her eyes at the journalist, flashing her a smirk before taking a sip from her glass. Maybe she wouldn't have beaten her down but she would have definitely thought the woman was crazy. In the two years since Jones had written that story on her, she had been quite comfortable continuing to build up the Castillo Group's team as one of the best racing groups ever. There had certainly been some surprises in her life since she had met the woman across from her, but not even the most unexpected of bumps had her thinking she'd leave the amazing life that she had created for herself. She had been proud of making it on her own after everything she had gone through. She briefly thought of her encounter with Dom here in L.A. a couple of years ago and sighed.

Still, Letty couldn't help being somewhat amused at herself. Now look at her. All packed up and ready to move on to the next adventure.

"Change doesn't always have to be about something getting fucked up," she finally responded. "Although for me, that's usually been the case," she added. "It ended up working for me in the long run, I guess."

"You don't say," Jones replied coyly getting another grin from Letty. "Was it hard turning over the reigns to another mechanic? You really made that team you know."

Letty shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know about that." She was quiet for a moment as if mulling over her answer very carefully. Finally, she shrugged again. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Then again, I've been busy with other stuff too.

"Yeah, your new company, I hear. I need to know all the details on that. It's pretty kick ass. Everybody's saying so."

"I don't know who everybody is but damn straight folks should be talking about it. I've been busting my ass on this thing and you know how hard it's been to get through the last few months." Jones had known a little of what was going on since Letty had called in a couple of favors throughout the process. She was really excited for her actually. No one would have thought a poor, tough Latina from the streets would end up starting her own company down the line. It was amazing really. And Jones knew if there was anyone that could pull it off, it was Letty. But on a personal note, she also thought it would end up being the best decision Letty's ever made even given how hard it was giving up her exciting gig in Spain.

Jones was going to have to make sure her readers understood the meaning behind Letty's journey through her words. She wanted everyone to feel Letty's excitement and know that it came from a long history of dreaming big and having the courage to stand up for herself. Jones wanted that feeling to be contagious for all the young, street runners who've never imagined they could be the ones calling the shots. Not that she expected a story on Letty to be too serious. That woman kicked up dust wherever she went and she already had a few interesting stories she wanted to incorporate into her article.

But she also wanted to hear about these things in Letty's own words too which was why they had been planning this sit down for a few weeks. And like a good journalist, she had plenty of questions. "I know Lojack is holding it down but it must have felt odd crowning him king of the garage after all this time. I'm sure he was plotting to grab those keys from you from the second you announced you were leaving."

Letty laughed sharp and loud at that. "Hell yeah! And by the time I really left he had to practically beat me down to get those keys too!" They both could image this scene being closer to truth than hyperbole. "Seriously though, most of us had been together a long time and we were all cool. It was time to move on; we all were down with that." She was really going to miss her guys, even Lojack, but life would move on. And her new company, a media consulting firm dealing with street and professional racing, was a goldmine already and it wasn't even fully up and running. She had partners to handle the business side of things which meant that she got to plan car races and chases all day for a living. If there was any sweeter gig from the one she had just left, this was it.

"And this opportunity was too much to pass up, right?" Jones asked, gesturing to her current surroundings. "I mean, that's gotta be a good part of your decision to come back to L.A. "

"It was every part of my decision," she said soberly. Then she smirked that signature Letty sign of mischievousness. "But don't tell anybody I said that."

Letty looked around at her new house slowly but surely coming together. 'Back to L.A.' Now that part of the decision had been completely loaded. She hadn't had a real home in so long that it was going to feel strange getting used to having a place where she could truly relax. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was scared about what this meant for her. All the same, reflecting on the circumstances that brought her to this point, she also couldn't help but feel optimism about what was to come.

She leaned forward trying to get comfortable in her chair for what felt like the hundredth time. The past few weeks had run her into the ground and she had felt like crap all weekend. This was hopefully the last of her trips between Europe and the West Coast for which she was thankful. She had only gotten to town three days before and it had been a hectic move all around.

Since arriving this morning, Jones had noticed guys milling around trying to get things in order; there was still a lot of chaos about though. "Do you want to move to the couch?" Jones asked. Letty had to be exhausted and this wasn't the most comfortable of settings.

"Naw, it's cool," Letty replied and settled down again at the table. The living room was certainly a better venue but there was still too much activity in there for them to have a good conversation. "I'm not trying to be anywhere near them while they're moving stuff around. You know those movers only have a handful of sense to go around and if we get in the way it might short-circuit their little brains. They are only men after all." When she heard a trace of male voices and footsteps, she made a point to raise her voice. "Good help is hard to find in L.A. If I knew it was gonna be like this, I really would have stayed my ass in that hotel in Spain."

"We couldn't have that," Jones said through a chuckle, glancing at the doorway to see if anyone had heard. "I mean, it was hard enough before with all the Spanish men taking you out and the parties and dancing until all hours at the clubs. But at least you could keep a nice boy toy around in L.A. to string along while you're in town." she added with mock seriousness.

Letty scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Like I'd have time for that. And you know these L.A. dudes thinking they're the shit. Just because a fool makes one romantic gesture two years ago he thinks I'd automatically fall into his arms like one of his usual brand of cheap hoes."

"Wow, so cold!" Jones said taking a sip of her drink. Letty just raised a challenging eyebrow and shrugged.

Right on point, Dom entered the dining area followed by Vince, both looking a little sweaty and overexerted but in good spirits. "You see what this woman has been putting me through trying to get her back?" asked Dom, directing his booming voice at Jones. "And yet here I am moving spending my Sunday morning moving her boxes. That's love right there. You need to write that down."

Despite her earlier words, Letty directed a slight smile in Dom's direction, clearly pleased with the interruption. He smiled back adoringly and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. The two actually hadn't seen much of each other since Jones had shown up to have lunch and finish their interview. But the two women had heard both men, and their other friends who came to help out, throughout the house as they talked.

"More like payback is how I see it," was Letty's reply which she delivered with a dangerous playfulness. "That's what you get for teasing me when I was 14." She turned to Jones. "I was young and innocent and hopelessly drooling over this punk. He knew that I had it bad for him and he LOVED messing with me about it."

"Did you ever think that maybe I was - wait, did you just say 'innocent?'" Dom looked from Letty to Vince and finally over at Jones who was paying keen interest in how this conversation was developing. "Looks like she's got you writing fiction over there." He cracked a smile that kept growing larger before turning into big, barreling rolls of laughter. Vince joined in as well and the two of them seemed quite pleased with the humor in Letty's statement.

Between peals of laughter Dom pointed accusingly at his girlfriend whose expression was quickly souring. "Are we still talking about the same 14 year old that rigged Jessica Silvano's locker because she _heard_ that I had hooked up with her at the garage? Or that time when you dismantled that engine I had been working on with Vince for over two weeks because you got mad at us for going to that race without you? You remember that one, man?" he asked, looking over at Vince.

"Oh hell yeah I remember that. You were _pissed_!" They both cracked up again at the memory.

Letty however was not laughing in the slightest as she crossed her arms and stared at them, a monster glare forming at her two old friends. But after thinking about it for a moment she let a grin slip as well. That shit had been funny at the time.

"Well, Jessica Silvano deserved it anyway. That ho was practically dry humping you not five minutes after breaking up with Hector. Look at it this way, it probably saved you from at least one trip to the free clinic. So I did you a favor." She turned to Jones and rolled her eyes. "Racer Chasers."

Dom winked at Jones, amused by Letty's annoyance. He was well aware that she had been right. "Sure babe," he said leaning over to kiss her on top of the head. But Letty dodged him and pushed him away playfully.

"Uh uh, I don't think so. You think you're so funny? You've had all month to move your shit in here. You better get back in there and get to work or I will take my spiteful ass right back to Spain. Those boxes sure as hell aren't going to move themselves and I am NOT going to spend another night digging around for my stuff like a fucking hobo."

"Damn girl, cut your boys a break. We've been at it all morning. Besides, we're not the one that brought all this shit to L.A.," Vince complained as usual. "You're almost as bad as Mia with all these boxes of crap for no fucking reason. Maybe I should take a seat and sip some tea while you go haul some boxes," he added gesturing to her and Jones. Some things never changed and Vince being a grumpy oaf about manual labor was one of them.

Three sets of eyes honed in on him as he leaned casually against the kitchen wall. One pair looked amused while another appeared curious. However, it was the third pair, glaring at him with a familiar fierceness and rubbing her enormously pregnant stomach that had him standing up straight and backing out of the room. If Vince's expression was any indication, Letty's clear warning had been received.

"You know I'm just playing, Babygirl," he said taking a few steps away from her. "I'm just going to, uh, get back to it." He turned and practically ran out of the doorway not looking back to see the satisfied smirk cross Letty's lips.

"Oh damn!" Dom said chuckling and finally succeeding in planting a kiss on the top of her head as he gently caressed her huge baby bump. "You still got it, Let'." He stood and moved to follow Vince and do a bit more unpacking. "We're going to have the best behaved kid on the planet with that kind of weapon," he said turning to leave while grabbing two beers from the cooler by the entrance.

"Your kid?" Letty yelled back to his retreating figure. "Not fucking likely." His returning laugh echoed against the bare walls of the mostly empty rooms beyond. She turned back to Jones who wore her usual calm, detached expression although the humor in her eyes gave away how entertaining she found the entire spectacle.

Jones cocked her head to the side and directed a stern look at the woman across from her. "When's the wedding again?"

It was a running joke with Dom and Letty's friends since, to date, Letty had refused all of Dom's suggestions that they tie the knot. She was gun-shy given that they hadn't even lived on the same side of the planet in almost a decade. His counter that it hadn't stopped them from having a baby together was usually not met with enthusiasm. But it remained a consistent source of amusement. In fact, she and Dom had been playing at the long-distance relationship for so long that actually being here in L.A. under the same roof for the foreseeable future was still surreal. Jones' expression grew somewhat serious as she considered her two stubborn friends.

"You know, seeing you two like this, it's hard to imagine you not being part of each others' lives. Yet when I met both of you, I could sense something missing. It's crazy to me to think back on how right I was and that the answer was so connected to the time I spent with you."

Letty rolled her eyes but couldn't help agreeing with her. The last seven years had been a hell of a time for her and for Dom.

"Well, if it's one thing we're used to in our lives, it's crazy," Letty responded in exasperation as she continued to rub her belly and find a new, comfortable position in her chair. Once she settled down, she picked up her glass again and took a long pull. "I don't know why I'm drinking this. I'm just going to pee it out in five minutes. Man, this kid better be real good to me when it pops out."

They both laughed at her jest especially because there was no real fire behind it. Anyone could see how happy she was to be back in L.A. starting something new on her own terms. But most importantly, she was back with her man and reinforcing their already tight-knit family with a child of their own. It had been a long road for them but these happier times were well deserved.

"Alright, now that Dumb and Dumber have passed through, let's get back to it. You've got to finish getting all up in my business for your article. Again. And then you can tell me about this book you want to write and why I'm the one you need to help you with it."

TBC...

* * *

_AN: I've got one more chapter to post tomorrow and then an epilogue after that. I've always planned on this being a stand-alone story with future visits to peek in on various parts of their lives. There's so much that I wonder about with these two, especially during their second courtship and how they came to be Dom and Letty again, step by step. But all in good time. For now, at least there's some closure on the horizon and I won't have to make you guys wait anymore!_


	11. In This Lifetime

Chapter Eleven: In This Lifetime

Dom tried to stay cool walking into the hotel but his heart was hammering in his chest and his pulse was racing. All he had thought about for the last few hours was seeing her again. Sure he had no idea what was going to happen between them. It had been a long time after all and it wasn't like she was moving back to L.A. She still lived half way across the world with some hot shit job and he was the same neighborhood badass, living in the house he grew up in and hanging with the same people he had known since before he could see over the hood of a car. He had grown up a bit but this was his world here in L.A. and Letty was so far beyond that now with her new life.

Even with all these doubts, he was excited and he was curious. Most of all, he was hopeful. Even if the time and distance were too much for him to have her again, she had always been one of his best friends. He didn't know if he could be 'just friends' with her but he would take it if it meant having her back in his life and the lives of the old team. The last image of her in his mind, flashing him that sexy half grin from where she sat signing autographs, was encouraging. Nevertheless, it was still wise not to make careless assumptions when it came to his girl. When his excitement would flare, he had to remember that she wasn't entirely the woman who had spent so many years by his side. She had always kept her cards close to the chest and he may have been able to read her in the past but the playing field had changed.

Before they had left the car show, Jorge had practically skipped over to where Dom was standing, stammering and going on about his Letty. It was about as funny as he thought it would be. They were going to be hearing about this for weeks at the garage. Letty had that affect on dudes sometimes, him included. She'd look at you with this spark in her eye like she held all the secrets on how to make a guy feel like he'd never felt before. When he had first realized that she was the girl for him, they had both floated on that high for weeks. No doubt it had gotten on everyone else's nerves but the team had been chill about it since it had been a long time coming for them. That's why he couldn't be too hard on Jorge and his obsession. After all, even in the too little time he had spent with her today, he was just as drawn into her cool, confident attitude. It seemed Letty's power had only gotten worse over the years. And she was hot as hell. Damn, was she fine.

Dom had grabbed the excited kid by the collar and moved him along before turning around for one last look. She was staring at him again and he took the opportunity to mouth "later" to which she had responded with that grin. His temperature rose a few degrees from that alone.

Hell yeah, she was still that good.

He was hoping the team would forgive him eventually but he wanted to keep her to himself for a while too. When he got back home, there were the usual questions waiting for him. Did he see her? What did she say? What was she like? Was she coming home? Yes, he saw her. They didn't have much chance to catch up. She seemed good. Home? There was no time to talk about that. He let himself get grilled for a bit and then begged off saying that he was going for a ride.

He hadn't lied per se. He'd fill them in at some point but not when she was so new to him again. They probably thought things had gone badly, or at least that they hadn't gone well. Jorge wouldn't be of any help to them because he had been too dazzled by the cars and his excitement over meeting Letty. It was a good thing the kid hadn't seen them together or he'd have a whole other story to tell. But for the time being, she was all his.

As he was driving around, he wondered if that was actually true. Sure, they had talked but that was it. Except for a few moments when he had held her hand, there had been no physical connection. They hadn't been sitting particularly close although it had seemed intimate for them at the time. Anyone passing by would have thought they were just two people hanging out. Then again, he had absolutely no perspective on the situation. For all he knew, he could have looked like some whipped old man trying to charm his way into her pants. He had certainly felt like he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, especially before she had taken off with that Sergio jerk.

Before he knew it, he was heading back towards the other side of town, towards the hotel she was staying at. It was a few hours later and the sun was just about to go down signaling the start of another wild Saturday night in L.A. He thought she'd be done at the car show by now for sure. There had been no doubt that he would come looking for her. But he did wonder if she had plans. Again with the uncertainty of not knowing anything about her habits these days.

So he had put a little more pressure on the gas and made his way to her. And now he was moments away from possibly the rest of his life if he had his way.

Yes, it was that simple to him. Seeing her again was like his first moments of freedom after leaving prison. He had fucked up and lost that freedom for a while but when he got it back, nothing was going to keep him from hanging on to it. He wanted her friendship and companionship and would settle for that if it's what she wanted. But what he wanted was more and he would fight for her, woo her, wait for her if he had to. He couldn't see himself being whole until she was back in his life.

* * *

Letty was lounging on the couch in her suite flipping channels and generally being lazy. She had showered and changed out of the clothes from the car show and was back in her favorite baggy cargo pants and tank top. Not that she minded having a stylist hook her up when she had to be on show but it was definitely a change from her usual routine.

It was nice to be back in her hometown but it was a quick trip. She had a flight back to Spain the next day and didn't really have time to do much of anything. She didn't even have a car this trip which was totally whack. No matter where they travelled, Letty made sure that she had a car at her disposal. Sometimes they were shitty pieces of junk or some crap rental although recently she had been traveling with one of CG's team cars using some random excuse or another to justify having her own wheels. Being the team leader did have its perks and damned if she wasn't going to cash in every once in a while. Besides, it came in handy if they had to go scouting for parts and things like that but it was also good for when she just wanted to get out and behind the wheel of a powerful engine all at her disposal.

But this trip being so quick, she had not arranged for transportation thinking there wouldn't be time and that she'd just end up sleeping off the jet lag. Of course, now she regretted the decision and was a bundle of energy trying to keep from bouncing off the walls.

She sighed and threw the remote to the other end of the couch. She really shouldn't be kidding herself. The truth was, she was wound up over seeing Dom again. And not only that, she had invited him to her room. To what end? She had no idea.

All she knew was that seeing him and being with him just for that little while had made her feel things she had buried deep inside her. They were things so deep she didn't even think they existed anymore. Early on, she had obsessed about how it would be when they finally saw each other face to face again. But over the years she had suppressed it more and more as a way to adapt to her new life. Part of the reason was the fear of feeling exactly as she did now - imagining visions of being his again in every way. It was both parts wonderful and terrifying.

She had given him the invite on impulse, in a panic almost. All she knew was that she was about to walk away from the man she had loved for most of her life. Again. And she wanted it to go differently this time. Before, she had wanted to stay with him but needed to let him go. This time, she knew she could stand on her own two feet just fine without him. But she couldn't get out of her mind that life would be so much better with him standing next to her.

She looked at the clock. Seven-thirty. She knew he would come to her but when? He obviously hadn't rushed over here - that wasn't his style anyway. She was sure time hadn't changed him that much. But it might be right up his alley to string her along for kicks and wait until booty call hours before he showed up. Then again, he was the one that had been waiting for her. He had sought her out without knowing how things would be between him. The man still liked living on the edge.

Thinking about that had her smiling again. It had been a risk and she loved him even more for it.

But where did that get them. She had a busy career and lived on another continent. While she was starting to think about the possibilities against her better judgment, there was no scenario where she gave up the life she had now. She had worked hard for it and it gave her something that nothing in her life before in L.A. had, not even being with Dom. Still, there had to be a compromise because now that she had seen a glimpse of the man he had become since she left, she wanted to know more and see what it could mean for the two of them together.

* * *

Dom knocked on the door trying to hold himself back from grabbing Letty the second she opened it. Just because he knew what he wanted didn't mean that he couldn't be cool about it.

Inside, Letty tried to calm herself down so she wouldn't end up jumping him the second he came through the door. She wasn't some skank from the old days, all hot and desperate to rub up on him for as long as he could tolerate her. No, she had to play it cool.

She opened the door and there he was, still in the sexy t-shirt and jeans from before. He was standing there looking far from uncertain and wearing that insufferable grin of his. She stepped aside and let him into her room admiring the view from behind before following him. If he suspected being the attention of her less than virtuous leers, he didn't let on. He knew better.

He turned to her and quickly looked her up and down. "You changed," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was once again admiring her body.

What a loaded statement. She playfully nudged his shoulder directing him towards the couch in the lounge area. The good thing about knowing each other since forever was that she was quite familiar with his sly techniques for checking her out. "It's not like I didn't have plenty of time. You sure did drag your sweet ass getting here." She tried to glare at him but that tiny smirk broke through to give her away. Finally, she grinned in his direction before sitting down beside him, not too close but within reach.

_'So that's how she wants to play it,'_ Dom thought to himself, quite pleased at the way things were starting off.

He leaned back to glance at her quickly before shaking his head. "It's not like my sweet ass had a clear invite or anything either," he said in mock annoyance. "I should have realized the Letty I know couldn't pass up a good punking."

Letty laughed and smiled at him sweetly. "But you looked so cute brooding and sulking in the corner like that." She matched her teasing with a gentle bump to his knee with hers before moving to tuck her legs underneath her.

"And," Dom added dramatically. "It took like fifteen minutes to get up here to your fancy room. Now that you're all classy and shit, you got people to protect you from riffraff like me. I couldn't even get on the elevator without a key," he said waving the plastic card in his hand before throwing it on the coffee table. He had been knocked off his game a little at having to navigate the fancy hotel she was in. Gone were the days of crashing at the Super 8 like back in the day.

She hated to admit it but he had no idea how nice it was keeping the riffraff away. It wasn't uncommon for horny assholes to try to sneak up to her floor thinking they could hook up with her. It was easier when she travelled with the team because she wasn't often alone and being around so many guys kept the weirdos away. She could take care of herself for sure but it would be nice to sometimes not have to worry about that creepy shit. With Hector staying with family, it was just she and Sergio at the hotel and she couldn't be too careful. But thankfully, she didn't need to hide from the pleasantly dangerous visitor sitting next to her.

"Hey, at least I left your trifling, late ass a key," she said laughing at him.

"So my ass went from being sweet to being trifling and late?" He chuckled and flashed her his famous Toretto grin. "I see how you are, Let'."

At hearing his nickname for her and his casual tone, Letty reveled in how good it felt to be teasing each other so soon after reconnecting. Dom's lingering smile told her that he felt the same way.

Dom leaned back, relaxing as he took in the room. "You clean up nice, Letty." She had a whole separate lounge area and he could see the bedroom section down the hall. His eyes registered the clothes scattered across a chair and the boot leaning against the corner of the bed. No one would ever accuse his girl of being tidy. The reminder was nice given all the other signs sitting closer to him of what had changed. But when his eyes returned to hers, it seemed like the same old Letty. She was in worn pants and a tank top, both of which looked amazing on her in their simplicity. As usual, he could see the straps of her bra peeking out which always had it's own allure to him. And of course, she had on a pair of beat up old boots. He had his suspicions about why she always wore shoes, even when at home relaxing. In fact, the only place he'd seen her go without shoes was the beach. It probably went back to her childhood when she never knew when she'd have to make a quick exit if things got crazy at her house.

She had looked gorgeous earlier when he had seen her all made up and designer. But he preferred her like this, casual and ready to get her hands dirty if necessary. But he had to get rid of that train of thought or he was bound to act on it. Trying to make out with her in the first five minutes was not how he had planned for this to go.

Letty looked at him quizzically as she propped her head up on the palm of her hand. "What are you thinking so hard about over there," she asked.

It wasn't meant as a serious question but he certainly could go there if he wanted. So here it was. What the hell do they do now?

He turned sideways on the couch, propping his knee up and matching her position beside him. "I was just thinking." He tentatively reached over to brush his fingers over her hand and felt a thrill when she returned the gesture. Slow and steady he told himself.

"I mean, I know I should be sharing you with Mia and the boys but…" He met her eyes at the admission and after a few moments, she reluctantly broke the gaze and looked down at their joined hands. But she was smiling. He took it as a sign that he was doing good so far.

Letty had thought a lot herself about whether she should suggest riding out to the old fort like he had hinted at earlier. But it seemed more important to figure things out between them before stirring up even more old relationships. She was glad that they were on the same page about that. But it was still damned complicated.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, you know." She kept her gaze down, still not meeting his eyes. No matter how nice it felt sitting there together and thinking about the possibilities, real life wasn't just going to go away. And always, there was the memory of where they had ended things. "I can't go back to before," she said finally, looking towards him quickly before turning away again. She knew what she wanted and she had a good idea of what he wanted but the weight of the difficulties ahead if they were to… Well, it was overwhelming.

It broke Dom's heart all over again to see the shadow of hurt he saw flash in her eyes before turning away. He would never forget how bad things had gotten between them. It would be part of them always whether they were together or not. But it was from that low point that they could actually build something. Seeing her and feeling his love still so strong after five long years of her absence had convinced him of that from jump.

He let go of her hand before reaching to lift her chin so that he could meet her eyes. "I can't go back to before either," he confessed. "I won't," he added. There was so much that statement spoke to; the depression, the drinking, the pushing everyone away. Yet it was losing her that had been the worst.

He dropped his fingers from where they had been caressing her face and took her hand again. "How about dinner?" They had a real chance to be a part of each other's lives again but it had to start somewhere. He hoped his offer said that if he had to do his part from a few thousand miles away then so be it.

Letty gave him that sweet, shy smile that she hadn't given to anyone in what seemed like years. He had a way of drawing it from her and again she was struck by how much of himself he was willing to put on the line for her. She had always known he had it in him but it had been a frustration that she so seldom saw it in the old days. He hid behind his King of the Streets persona, letting numerous bitches think they had a chance with him. Or he'd play the cool team leader if they were amongst friends. Even behind closed doors, he would often hold back. But sitting in front of her right now, after spending less than a few hours getting to know her as she was today, he was putting himself on the line, all to have another chance with her. It was causal so as not to pressure her but it was a clear promise, nonetheless. God, when had they become such fucking adults! It was a big turn for them and it hit her hard in a way that she had never experienced in the entire time she'd known him.

And then she realized in that moment that they were going to be okay.

"Well, we gotta eat," she replied after a long pause that had clearly made Dom a little antsy. He seemed to let out a breath he had been holding and this time, it was Letty that gripped his hand a little tighter in her grasp. They both chuckled at her well-placed use of Vince's signature line.

"That Italian place in Silver Lake?" he asked.

"You read my mind," she said thinking of the casual, local restaurant where they had had their first real date when she was seventeen. It was one of their best memories together. "That takes me back. Let me get my bag."

"Your 'bag?' Are you talking about a purse?" Dom's mocking caused her to swiftly pull her hand from his and move away from him but he just laughed because she had to have known it was coming. He had never in his life seen Letty carry a purse. Oh, how times had changed.

Letty rolled her eyes and grabbed a small messenger-style bag from the chair in the corner. So it wasn't a traditional purse but it was more of a purse than she had ever had before. "Why don't you shut the fuck up before I stuff my boot down your throat." She wrapped the bag around her body and grabbed the hoodie that has been lying across the chair as well.

Dom walked up behind her and playfully wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they made their way towards the door. "Letty, just when I thought you had changed beyond recognition, you turn right around and keep it real." He kissed her dramatically on the top of her head and led her to the door. His touch was a thrill and she let herself be held as she profanely chided him for his teasing.

This was more like it and they couldn't wait for more. Like a whole lifetime's worth.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'd say that this is it but there's still an epilogue forthcoming and all the other ideas of how I can separately add to this universe. They've had enough angst for one story and I wanted their return to each other to be the polar opposite of their separation. I've had this story in my head for so long (and still do) that it feels strange to get to this point. But I couldn't have done it without all the encouragement of all of you out there who have been reading and especially those of you who've reviewed and let me know how I'm doing. Many thanks!**


	12. Ride or Die

**Author's Note: Thanks for hanging in there with this story everyone. There's one more chapter to go for this one. I know this story reads much better as a whole so my apologies (as always) for the fits and starts. I hope these little additions serve as a nice epilogue of sorts and I really do intend to visit this universe more as my free time for writing allows. Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 12

_Five years later..._

_Ride or Die_

_by L.C. Jones_

_Foreword by Letty Ortiz and Dominic Toretto_

_We've been a part of this life since birth. We're still doing the things that our parents taught us from when we were barely tall enough to see into the engine of a car. There's also the things we taught each other as our team came together and we ripped up the streets while never forgetting to have each other's back. It's cool as hell to pass some of this on so that none of these things that we love ever stop. The races, the parties and, of course, the cars - that life is forever._

* * *

"Is that what I think it is?" Letty asked when Dom walked in with a large envelope and a small bundle.

She was standing over her desk looking through some large drawings and schematics that were spread across the entire surface. There was a big project scheduled for the following month and a lot of decisions needed to be made before they were ready to do the test runs necessary for the final phase. Letty was very particular about the details and safety. Just like when she had been running her pit crew, she wasn't about anyone screwing anything up on her watch. Or as she more commonly put it, 'fuck up on your own time.'

Dom had been busy across town dealing with a long list of suppliers for the shop so he had barely seen her in the past few days. He wasn't sure if it was the absence talking, but watching her working so intensely, she looked amazing to him at the moment. The view from behind as she had her back to him was particularly bangin'. Gone were her professional clothes for meeting with her partners or clients. Instead, she wore a pair of worn but nicely tight jeans and a plain tank top with her company's logo across the front. Her hair was as shiny and lustrous as he had become accustomed to since her days as a semi-celebrity but it was currently in a loose, messy ponytail with a few strands hanging in slight disarray around her face. She must have been down at the garage for the day or maybe the test track. He much preferred this look because it meant that she had spent the day getting her hands dirty. And there was nothing hotter to him than the idea of Letty getting dirty even if it was over a car and not him.

Dom watched her glance up at him and then across the room before again turning back to the papers in front of her. His grin widened the longer he stared until he remembered the bundle in his hands and the question she had directed at him before he got distracted. "Yeah, babe. You wanna take a look?"

"In a sec," she responded, barely glancing across the room again before returning her focus to the papers scattered on her desk. Dom walked over to the area she had been monitoring as she worked and found their son Christian sleeping soundly on the oversized couch in the corner. There were toys neatly piled in the small play area and some empty plates and cups on the table a few feet away. He smiled down at the little boy realizing that he probably had a big dinner before wearing himself out. He should sleep pretty well tonight even through the trip back to the house.

He ran his hand over the little boy's soft, chubby cheek and kissed him gently on the forehead, hearing the beautiful sounds of his tiny inhales and exhales. He sincerely doubted he would ever get tired of touching and cuddling his son like this as he looked down at the perfect person that he and Letty had created. Knowing their kid, he'd probably grow out of being coddled pretty quickly. So in the meantime, he was going to get as much as he could out of it before the inevitable parental embarrassment set in. Fatherhood was nothing like he expected and neither was their little guy. Yet it was still better than anything he had ever experienced in his life, car-related or no.

Even before Letty was pregnant, Dom had wondered occasionally what their children would be like. Looking at Chris sometimes reminded him of those days before everything got fucked up with the heists and losing Letty for all those years. Life had been relatively simple - or as simple as things could be for an ex-con and his rowdy team of gearheads. Dom would stare at Letty so comfortable in his garage or get a glimpse of her doing something uncharacteristically domestic at the fort. And then there were those times she was dressed like his hottest fantasy at the races, ignoring the leers of the horny fools around her and driving him crazy with her passionate talk of engines and upgrades. Better still was when they would quietly work on his dad's car. Besides Mia, she was the only person he would let lay a finger on it. He would look over at her deep in concentration and think about how long she had been a part of his family and how satisfied he was for it. In those moments, he imagined a mini-Letty or mini-Dom causing trouble before they were big enough to walk on their own, even joining them in the garage when they were older.

The reality turned out to be true at times but for the most part, Chris was a quiet, serious child that loved cars like his parents but also loved books just as much. He was more like his Aunt Mia than either Dom or Letty which Mia was always eager to rub in their noses. They loved him too much to put unreasonable expectations onto him so the only thing that mattered to them was that he was happy. And he really did seem to be a content little boy. Letty was so good with him from the moment she first held him at the hospital. As Chris got older, Dom was enjoying the special bond that they were building as well, full of secret boy adventures and fun ways to playfully aggravate his mommy. It was also a way to honor the relationship he had with his father in addition to remaining close with his son.

When Dom heard the rustling of papers signifying that Letty was wrapping things up, he turned from the sleeping child and crossed the room back to where she stood. Although reflecting on his son was always a pleasure, the thought of getting his hands on Letty was the number one thing on his mind at the moment. By the time he reached her, she had put the papers back in one pile to take them with her to her meeting the next day. She had barely turned towards him when, to her delight, he enveloped her from behind and began planting sensual kisses along her neck. If Chris was going to sleep through the night, he was going to have a little fun with her starting right now.

So lost in tasting her, he didn't sense her gain leverage against the desk before grabbing him and turning him around. God, he loves when she does that; he suspected she knew it too and used it to torture him. She attacked his mouth, wasting no time teasing his lips with her teeth and tongue before diving in for a deep kiss. Her hands caressed his chest no doubt warmed by the heat she was building in him and aroused by how hard he was against her. It had been too damn long since they had done this. To both of them, it felt like the most action they'd had time for in days.

Not one to back down, Dom clung to her body, consuming her with his tongue and hands alike. When he heard her moan and taper off from their kiss, he pulled her roughly to him again and nipped at her lip to chastise her. By no means was he done with her yet.

She smiled against his lips but pushed him back against the desk so that she could reluctantly escape his embrace. After all, it was very late and they had a three year old sleeping across the room. Escalating the situation wasn't the best of options at the moment.

"Dom," she said with a smirk, drawing out his name in warning. But the way she was trailing her hand slowly down his chest went against all of the caution in her voice. He felt his lust for her start to simmer once again. Letty being Letty, she only laughed at his horniness before walking over to the couch to check on Christian.

Dom blew out a calming breath but followed the view of her retreating form with a grin. "Letty," he replied just as testily. He could hear her quiet chuckle of amusement at his delayed and frustrated response. She was going to pay for that one.

* * *

_The two of us can look back with a laugh on the first time we met, the first of many times we fought, the first time we fell in love (it really did happen a few times but that's another story). And all of it is wrapped up in family and cars and speed. _

* * *

He picked up the bundle that he had come in with and laid it on her desk before their impromptu make-out session. Letty was packing up her and Christian's things but looked over her shoulder to eye the item in his hands. "Well, are you going to share or are you just going to fondle that thing all night?"

He laughed at her knowing choice of words. After the last few minutes, there was no doubt about what he was interested in fondling for the evening. "Why don't you come back over here and you can check out what I plan to get my hands on tonight."

Letty set aside a large bag stuffed with toys and books before she quietly sat on the couch next to Chris. "I don't think so; then we'll never get out of here. And if Little Man here wakes up to us going at it on my desk he's definitely going to be traumatized for life." She gently took Christian's little foot and slid one of his shoes on for the trip home.

"It looks like he's sleeping pretty good. Besides, we haven't done it on your desk in a while. It's due for a little action." Not one to give up easily, Dom ran his hand back and forth along the surface of her desk in invitation.

Letty smiled a little at the memory. That had been one of his better ideas. It had been a late night like this one. They had had the entire floor to themselves and Christian was conveniently with Mia for the evening. They meant to only stop in to pick up some paperwork but a not-so-innocent kiss led to Dom's hands exploring underneath Letty's shirt and her hands creeping into his pants. Despite the perfectly good couch in the corner, before long, he had her leaned back across the desk while they made love to the sweet sounds of her satisfied pleasure and his primal passion. It wasn't the first or last time they had sex in her office but it was certainly the most wild, head-banging, scream-filled encounter that made it her favorite.

"You are still such a cocky asshole sometimes," she replied with a grin but ignored any further temptation of responding to his provocations. Instead she pointed at what he was holding. "Don't leave me hanging. How's it look? Is it ridiculous."

Dom rolled his eyes and ran his fingers over the book in his hands. "It was never ridiculous. You know that. Besides, it's done so we're going to have to live with it." Having gotten Chris' shoes on, Letty stood up and walked over to where Dom was leafing through the pages of the book. She flipped to the front of the book to see the title and Jones' name written in bold lettering on the front.

* * *

_Let us tell you a little something about the woman who put together these stories of the people we grew up with, worked with and will always ride with in some way. She's come a long way since those first days of meeting her when she didn't know shit about cars. But we got her up to speed, and then some, so now she owes us. Big time._

* * *

Letty smiled seeing the finished product of their friend's hard work. She couldn't have imagined when they had first met that they'd work together on something like this. Of course, she and Dom had read drafts of the book throughout the process. While neither of them were big readers, it was kind of cool that they contributed to a whole book about their lives and the lives of their friends in the racing world. Jones hadn't sensationalized it with some whack-ass description of skanks and punks and chaos in the streets. Instead, it was like sitting down and hearing stories of the hundreds of people they had met, not only in L.A. but also around the world. It was about putting all your effort into the perfection of a vehicle both on the inside and the outside. It was about people who loved driving their cars and loved going fast, preferably at the same time; the same people that took pride in the performance of the machines that allowed them to defy human speed. Jones had always got that as hard as it was to believe knowing her as they did.

Jones had done right by them and their team. She had been discreet and knew what questions to ask and what not to ask. And she never brought up what remained unsaid. They had plenty of reasons to leave a lot of the past behind them and Jones left well enough alone despite what it could have done for her book. The way she put together her stories hadn't been about the drama, even when she was just starting out. As far as the racing scene went, she said she'd leave that to the people who had bought the movie rights to the book. She was sure Hollywood would find a way to turn it into some kind of action-packed popcorn franchise once they got a hold of it.

"At least she changed the title," Dom noted. "What was that she came up with before? 'Fast and Furious' or something like that?" He pulled a face and shook his head in disdain. "Who'd buy that?"

Letty laughed at his disgust. "Somebody must have thought it worked since it turned out to be some old, crappy movie with the same title. But it's better than her first idea. What the fuck does 'Allegro' even mean? Probably some smart, artsy shit of hers. You know how she is."

"Yeah, but we set her straight so it's all good now." Dom turned the first few pages at the beginning of the book and read the words out loud. "'Foreword by former Castillo Group pit crew leader Letty Ortiz, now an internationally renown media consultant and Dominic Toretto, owner of the most exclusive custom detailer and auto body shop in Southern California.'" He couldn't help laughing actually seeing those words in print. It was hard to believe that it was one of Jones' first racing articles that made him rethink everything. Those few hundred words she wrote sparked something subconsciously inside of him that hoped his story with Letty wasn't over. It warmed him to think how many obstacles they'd overcome, much of it coming from themselves.

"Can you believe this Let'? We're published and shit now. Running multiple businesses, going all Hollywood, raising a family? It's like we've turned into respectable people." They'd even cleaned up their language not wanting Christian repeating the profanity-sprinkled exchanges for which their entire team was known.

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone would actually believe that about us. Wasn't it just last month that you scared the shit out of that guy at Race Wars for accidentally spilling beer on Chris? Screaming at someone about the various ways you're going to fuck them up is not what I'd call respectable."

"I wasn't really going to beat his ass but he didn't need to know that. That punk should have watched where he was going." Just thinking about it still made him a little angry. Nobody messed with his kid without feeling some consequences for it.

Letty rolled her eyes and went back to silently reading the words that she and Dominic had labored over with a little help from their more capable writer friend. But at the end of the day, she told them to write what they knew in whatever way they knew how. People would respond to the authenticity of that, not that anyone cared about keeping it real. It was about doing right by the subject of the book and doing right by their continued partnership. Together they had done a lot to show the world what it meant to love having control of the open road through the power of a car you put your heart and trust into. No matter if it's racing for money or slips or just driving faster then the wind down an empty road, the quarter mile was everything. Even now that they were settled down, Dom and Letty remembered to take things one step at a time. They had overcome too much to look too deeply into the future.

* * *

_We did our best getting Jones ready for this, teaching her about cars and showing her what it means to live life a quarter mile at a time. And in a way, she helped us figure a few things out when it mattered. Maybe we still owed you a little bit too, Lucille Chantilly. _

* * *

Dom looked over to his girl leaning against him, eyes moving across the page with each word. His name appeared here and there in the book but there was a whole section about Letty. She had been laughing about that for months when they got the final cut. Everyone joked that his big ego of once being the King of the Streets would make him pissy about getting upstaged by his woman. But given that he had technically been working for his girl for the better part of two years, not to mention following her around all over the world to woo her back in the first place, he was now used to taking a backseat to her.

After Letty had started The Quarter Mile, Inc. and they committed to being a family, it seemed only natural that they would combine their businesses. DT was now a part of the fold and while separately run, they collaborated regularly on projects in addition to their usual garage grunt work, as Leon and Jesse liked to call it. They oversaw each arm on their own but jointly ran the company as a team for the most part. And they made damn good money. They weren't trying to take over the world but they were pretty happy with the little slice of prosperity they'd worked for. Their happiness had been a long time coming and well earned.

Seemingly satisfied with what she had seen in the first pages of the book, Letty moved away and grabbed the bags she needed for them to head home. Dom closed the book and stared at the title on the cover for a long moment before setting it on her desk.

"It's kind of cool though, right?"

She motioned him towards their sleeping son, knowing that he'd enjoy the few moments of holding him, having been away from him most of the day. "Hell yeah it's cool. We're fucking legends now. It says so in the book so it must be true."

Dom laughed quietly and carefully picked up Chris, arranging his son's relaxed body against his own massive one. "This is Lucille Chantilly we're talking about. That girl still drives a fucking Prius so she damn sure can't be trusted." He smiled at the running joke with their friend remembering how pissed she always got when they called her by her full name. Some things would never change and right now that was a good thing. Seeing Letty with such love in her eyes as she subconsciously rubbed their son's back, he felt just how true that was. Before she could step away, he took her hand and pulled her to him for a soft kiss. They had come pretty far from the two confused, lost kids that they were before but what they had now was worth all the mistakes and detours along the way.

* * *

_Those were crazy times growing up and even after living through a lot of madness, life is still sometimes crazy. Things will probably always be crazy for us until we're old and wrinkled and racing our motorized wheelchairs around the block. That's just who we are. Now you'll know who we are too; who we all are that love this life._

* * *

_TBC..._


	13. Retracing Our Steps

**_Author's Note: Three years it's taken to finish this story? Shameful. I still don't own any part of this franchise. Only L.C. Jones and Christian are mine. _**

**_I know it's been so long since I promised this ending. It's the one that's always been in my head (I wanted it to end in the present at a beginning of sorts) and it has been sitting on my hard drive forever in some form. I appreciate those of you who badgered/coaxed/encouraged me about finishing. I suppose I am having a very difficult time letting this story go as it is one of my absolute favorites along with Growing Up Fast and Interconnected. Even though I still plan on revisiting this universe later, this core story has meant a lot to me as has the feedback I've gotten from it. _**

**_Apologies in advance for how long this is and also for any stray typos, etc. Thanks to all of you who have kept with it with reviews and alerts and just plain reading the whole thing. __This is an amazing community of fans and writers and I'm very fortunate to be a little cog in this machine. _**

**_I haven't had the best opportunities to keep up with the great stories coming out and I very much want to go back and contribute to supporting the other folks being so creative with these characters. If there are any stories you would recommend, please let me know via whatever means (PM/review). I'd love to catch up on what I've missed and offer some feedback that I've been lucky to receive for my work._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

**_Chapter 13 (Epilogue)_**

Letty stepped out of the car, releasing the breath it felt like she'd been holding since leaving her hotel. Her eyes made a panoramic sweep of the view surrounding her. The old stomping grounds.

God, she had known every nook and cranny of this block back in the day. She remembered hitting the mailbox on the corner house with her car when she was fourteen. Three doors down was the house with the hole in the fence. She and Mia had used that particular feature to run through the neighbors' yards and sneak into her back door when they'd caused some mischief on the block—or when they were trying to meet some boys without the guys knowing about it. It was still visible, although she doubted she could fit through it anymore.

The familiarity to everything she saw was eerie as was the immediate feeling of comfort simply standing in this spot after so long. It felt like coming home.

But it wasn't exactly home, just the memory of one. The house looked the same, if not a little more tidy. The paint on the outside appeared newer and there was a hint of landscaping with the neatly mowed lawn and shock of flowers along the side leading to the back. There was no more busted middle step on the porch, a long ago casualty of some tussle the boys had gotten into. And, apparently, Dom had finally gotten the driveway properly paved which was a nice touch.

"You sure you don't want me to come in with you?" a voice asked from the driver's window of the car she'd just exited.

Letty smiled and turned back to Hector who was looking at her with a casual concern, communicating that he'd have her back if necessary. "Naw man, it's cool. I know your _abuela_ would kill me if I kept her precious baby away for much longer." Letty had known Hector's grandmother since she was a child and the woman was not someone you messed with, as sweet as she was otherwise. Besides, it was her birthday and Letty wouldn't dream of getting in the way of her favorite grandson celebrating with her. It was actually Hector who made the request to the bosses to extend their trip. She got to tag along with him and that allowed her to spend another day in L.A.

And here she was, perched on the sidewalk, nostalgia mixing with apprehension over what was to come.

Hector smiled in that knowing way of his. "Okay then, Let'. I'll cruise by later to check up on you. Just in case, of course." She rolled her eyes at him, yet a small smile creeped into her expression. Her old friend only laughed and then pulled away from the curb.

Letty tracked his car until it disappeared around the corner and then brought her gaze back to the house in front of her. Thrusting her hands in her pockets, she made no move to approach.

When Dom had met up with her last night, she'd had no idea what to expect after they inevitably got real with each other. And there had been no doubt they'd move past the happy reminiscing and catching up to get serious about the demons that had driven her off. Turns out, it hadn't been that painful, or at least not as painful as it could have been. They hadn't tried to solve all of their past problems or make any promises to each other either. They'd just laid it all out there and then focused on rekindling the friendship that had gotten them through so much in their lives.

Dinner at their old spot had been nice. They tried to treat it as the most natural thing in the world for them to be together like that. Having already covered conversation about their lives and the lives of their friends, they settled on talking shop. They quickly figured out that they both knew the woman who had written the article on Letty, the one that had prompted their reunion. She'd cracked up hearing about how he chided Jones for driving a Prius just like she had. But they'd both liked her and Letty had agreed to help her out on some secret project she was going to start later in the year.

Letty had even expressed some petty jealousy over the car Dom had recently rebuilt, a reaction that Dom loved, of course. They'd both missed the little things like that, Letty could tell. A few years ago, hearing about him working on that kind of thing without her would have probably made her sad. Yet after having some time to heal, it was more validation that they could still lead meaningful lives on their own.

After dinner, they'd driven around L.A.; visited past favorite spots and old haunts. Dom made an off-hand suggestion to stop by the garage so she could get her hands dirty with some cars worth a damn for a change. They both recognized it was probably a bad idea, though Letty had laughed at the jab. There were too many intimate memories associated with that place and they weren't quite ready for all the emotional baggage it might dredge up. However, they did stop to watch a couple of street races put on by a new generation of racers. That had been a lot more fun than she expected. They silently agreed to watch from afar, although close enough to inspect the cars and the various posturing from the crews spread out around the streets. Everyone knew the legend that was Dom, of course, and he wasn't in the mood to put on a show. Letty just didn't want to be recognized.

At around two in the morning, he dropped her off at the hotel and even though she let him walk her back to her room, they both knew it wasn't the best idea for him to come inside. The temptation was strong but they were still so fragile.

So he'd left her with his number and with a renewed proposition: he'd get the gang together for a Sunday barbecue and she'd show up as his surprise.

Letty had been silent at the request at first, debating whether she was ready to see everyone again and all the emotional hangups it would involve. Maybe she'd be pushing her luck trying to reconnect with so many of her old friends at once. Just Dom had been exhausting enough. There were no assurances about any lingering resentment at her staying away or awkwardness at her trying to fit in when everyone else had moved on without her. Dom made it seem like everyone would be thrilled to see her but she wasn't so sure. It wasn't the team that had come to that car show. It'd been only Dom and the new kid who didn't even know her.

On the other hand, she had felt good about seeing Dom again, better than she'd ever imagined. And seeing him again reminded her that she missed her family.

There were good people in her life right now but it wasn't the same. Her life was basically about work and travel. She was doing what she loved and got to handle some of the best machines on the planet. As for her personal life, however, when she wasn't dealing with sterile hotel rooms and empty, bullshit socializing in the name of business, there was only her impersonal apartment in Spain. And most of her time there was spent isolated and exhausted. Nothing she'd accomplished could completely make up for the loneliness.

There were no promises made—her maybe was contingent on extending her trip for another day. But when she'd confirmed this morning, his pleased response allowed her to let a little excitement bubble up in her heart.

Sighing, Letty allowed one last look up at the house and took her first few steps towards whatever lay ahead for her.

She walked towards the front steps but stopped short. There was a familiar set of cars lining the driveway and she'd heard some sounds coming from the back. She wondered if she should try the front door or just go towards where she knew everyone would be hanging out. Dom hadn't mentioned how she'd make her entrance. Was it better to just pop in on everyone at once or surprise whoever came to the front door? Leave it to Dom to reduce her to an insecure teenager again.

"You gonna stand out there all day?" came that deep voice Letty had learned to revel in again over the last twenty-four hours. While she'd been contemplating her decision, Dom had quietly opened the front door and was staring at her from inside the house, clearly encouraging her to come to him.

Letty at least had the decency to look embarrassed as she smirked at him and climbed the stairs to confront her past.

* * *

He'd had his eyes on her from the moment she pulled up. Actually, he'd been watching for her all afternoon.

Naturally, he played it off around the others. They had no idea what was in store for them. Or what he hoped would be in store for them. But Letty had said she'd be there and she wasn't one to go back on her word.

As far as Mia and the team knew, he'd gone to the auto show yesterday with Jorge. Between driving around to clear his head and spending time with Letty, he hadn't been around enough for anyone to quiz him beyond the basics. Jorge wouldn't be around until later, not that he knew anything about the time he'd spent with Letty. Dom had made himself scarce this morning at the shop too, leaving Leon to handle things while he went on a supply run. He'd had to straight up dodge Mia who was dying for more details. At their brief, early encounter over breakfast, he suggested they get everyone together later on for a barbecue after they closed the shop. When it was clear that he wasn't going to volunteer any other information anytime soon, she let it drop.

They'd all assumed things had gone poorly, or at least, hadn't gone as planned. His calm contentment was mistaken for denial and he let them think whatever they wanted to. He wasn't going to share Letty until he absolutely had to. And it would make the surprise of seeing Letty bigger and better.

Now she was standing at the fort looking as unsure as the first time he'd seen her on his front steps. Then, she'd been barely ten years old and trying to hide her nervousness about coming over to play with her new neighbors. She'd met Mia at the park around the corner and his little sister had begged the only girl on their street to come by and side with her against her brother and the rest of the stupid neighborhood boys. Dom grinned at the memory, recalling that it was actually him and his dad and the car they were working on that really secured Letty's attention.

Last night, he offered to take her by the shop and for a few seconds, he hoped she would say yes. Instead, she had laughed, although he would have bet major money that she was tempted. The timing hadn't felt right then. But if Dom had anything to say about it, he'd get her back on their old turf sooner rather than later.

For now, it was enough that she was there, standing in front of their old home together. There was no doubt that she was nervous, but she still looked like the tough Latina who demanded he fall in love with her lest he go through life feeling incomplete. She looked casual, like she had the night before; the cargo pants had been traded for jeans and she'd switched up her hoodie and tank top. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was makeup and jewelry free, except for a simple silver band on her right pinky finger. As she approached the door, he saw her gaze flash towards the back and then a pause as if considering where she should make her grand entrance.

Seeing her hesitation, Dom decided he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to have her at his side again, even if it was just these first tentative steps towards friendship. He wanted to see the looks on everyone's faces when he brought their family back together. And, yes, he wanted to show her off like it was the old days when she was his queen. It still hurt a little to admit how well she was doing without him but he wasn't afraid to show how proud he was of her.

They'd been through too much bullshit for him to waste time living in the past.

So he opened the door quietly and asked her if she was just going to stand there. Her surprise brought an instant grin to his face. This was going to be fun.

She walked up the steps towards him with that beautiful smirk curving her lips.

"Don't mind me. I was just in shock by how respectable this place looks. No skid marks on the front lawn or beer bottles on the stoop? Man, you've really cleaned up nice."

When she made the final steps onto the porch to meet him in the doorway, he took her hand and pulled her across the threshold. "Well, you still might want to keep your expectations low because nothing else has changed much since the last time you were here." Dom ushered her inside and closed the door.

Even from the front room, they could hear the music drifting inside the house, no doubt from the open back door. The smells of chicken and barbecue sauce were wafting in as well. She stopped to look around and he smiled as she closed her eyes briefly to take it all in. She was so still that his smile faded and he worried that he had overwhelmed her. He scrambled for something to say that would ease her mind.

"See, same couch as before with that same damn spot from when Mia tried to paint your toenails. We never could get that out." She turned towards the couch to run her fingers over the big, red blotch on the arm. "Same video game set up. Although we've upgraded the hardware as you can see." Letty nodded with approval at the new television and entertainment center with room for all their consoles and games.

They turned the corner to the dining room and kitchen, her hand remaining in his which Dom took as a good sign. "We got a new stove and oven because Mia kept hounding me about it so I had to give in on that one. But it's the same table from before, just a few more dents in it."

The table had seen their family through a lot of good and bad times. It had been one of the first big purchases after his parents got married so neither Dom nor Mia wanted to part with it. They had many memories of sitting at that table with their mom and dad. Later, there were the meals they'd spent with just their dad and their circle of strays in Vince and Letty. Finally, there were all the parties and celebrations when Dom had been the head of their team and of the household after his father's death. Even with so much transition in his life and in this house, after Letty left, family meals there never really felt quite right.

They walked past the table, Letty gliding a hand along the back of a chair. If memory served, they'd had sex on that chair once. It seemed she hadn't forgotten either.

That bit of comfort was short-lived, however, when he felt Letty stiffen beside him. She must have gotten her first glimpse of the team through the windows facing the backyard. Everyone was gathered outside. Leon was tending the grill while Jesse was pouring ice into a cooler. Mia had just stepped down from the stairs with more food that Vince immediately took from her and set on the table. He was yelling something over at Leon that Dom couldn't quite make out but it made everyone break out in laughter, Mia heckling him further and Jesse throwing some ice in Leon's direction. Letty must have caught what was said since her mouth curved up in response to it.

He stepped up behind Letty, invading her personal space a bit. She didn't seem to mind. Or maybe she was more focused on how things were going to go with the rest of her old crew.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked playfully right at her ear. He squeezed her hand in support and then steered her to the steps leading outside. "Don't forget to breathe," he added over his shoulder. The breeze of her exhale against his neck forced him to reign in the thrill of desire it caused.

When Mia spotted him in the doorway, Letty's petite frame concealed behind him, she scowled before putting her hands on her hips. "Dom, the food is almost ready so you better not come down here empty handed."

"Damn straight," Vince said from where he was setting up the table. "You've been dodging work all day so grab some shit off the table and get out here.

Dom laughed and stepped out in full view. "Oh I'm bringing something with me alright, don't worry." When he started down the steps, everyone turned to see who he had in tow. "Guess who I found lurking out front."

* * *

Letty exhaled and followed Dom down the stairs to the waiting people below in the yard. Everyone was still smiling at the ribbing being directed towards Leon. Vince had put some food down on the table for Mia who followed him, rearranging things so it fit nicely. Jesse had returned to dealing with the ice chest, now putting in more beer along with a couple of iced tea bottles and soda.

It felt so surreal walking back into all this. She'd spent so much time becoming close with these people; that had altered the entire direction of her life. There had been fights and make out sessions in this very back yard; schemes had been hatched, friendships tested and family, in its many iterations, reaffirmed.

At that moment, it hit her that she was really going to do this. She was finally going to test how far she'd come since pledging to make the best life possible for herself.

Vince turned to chastise Dom for apparently not carrying his weight with the barbecue logistics. And then everything stopped—two seconds, then ten, then thirty. Letty's heart felt like it was going to fly out of her chest and she gripped Dom's hand and felt him squeeze back.

"Leon, don't burn the damn chicken, man."

"Oh shit!" Leon quickly returned his attention to the grill and pulled a few pieces of meat off of the heat.

That was enough to break the tension and Mia was flying across the yard to pull Letty into a tight embrace. Letty hugged her back just as tightly and soon they were rocking with each other and pulling back before hugging again in a flurry of ponytails, excited exclamations and tears, from Mia at least.

"Look at you!" she said pulling back from her once more. Letty was getting a little self conscious since she didn't think she'd changed that much, not in appearance at least. "No, you look the same and that's good!" Mia clarified, knowing what her good friend must be thinking.

There was nothing like getting a hug from Mia, even if you didn't want it. It was like sunshine. Of everyone, Mia was the only one who she'd had any contact with over the years, even if it was sporadic. They both recognized the forces that had pulled their lives apart. But unlike everyone else, for a while they tried to look past the obstacles and be the most they could to each other in their new lives, no matter how limited.

Standing in front of each other, taking it all in, Letty was reminded of the little girl she'd befriended almost twenty years ago. She'd been so wary of the only other young female in the neighborhood with her pretty clothes and good cheer. Yet they'd become fast friends and eventually strong family. They'd had hundreds of sleepovers and gossip sessions while Letty was hiding out from her parents. When Mia got drunk for the first and only time in her life, Letty was there to hold her hair back while she threw up and covered for her with Dom and her dad. What little trouble Mia had gotten into as a kid, they'd done it together. As they got older, Letty was a gateway between Mia and the boys. Even after she started dating Dom, they were always there for each other.

Letty smiled and hugged Mia again. If nothing else went well today, she was glad for the chance to reconnect with her oldest friend.

When Mia finally let her go, she ran over to Dom and hit him on the arm before embracing him as well. "You sneak! You knew she was coming this whole time and you didn't say anything."

"Well, I didn't know for sure until a couple hours ago," he replied putting his arms around his sister.

Letty saw her give him a big squeeze before letting go. "You brought her back home to us. Thanks big brother." Letty smiled at the two but was then ambushed by two big arms as Leon grabbed her and spun her around.

"Well, I'll be damned. Look who's slumming it with her old crew. You come to teach us a thing or two?" He put her back on her feet and she playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"I could have done that at any time," she threw back. She and Leon had loved to bicker back and forth about who knew more about cars. They both knew that it was Letty but he enjoyed giving her a hard time. When they'd first met, he'd been the typical dude writing her off as just some girl who was hanging around the garage to get close to the guys. She'd put him in his place immediately and that had been the end of it. Leon loved life and was always looking for a good time. He was loyal to his team and wasn't one for holding grudges or being bad tempered. It was a comfort that he didn't seem much changed.

Leon put his arm around her and guided her over to the grill. "You're just in time too. This is supposed to be a two-person job. I'm the sauce man and you're the grill master. You're all traveling around the world and I'm here stuck flipping the chicken."

"More like burning the chicken," Letty heard from behind her. Jesse stood there with a shy smile on his face, happy to see her but unable to figure how to express it.

Letty turned and tackled the little guy in a hug. "That's my boy, calling Leon out like that."

She let him go and watched the adorable blush creep into his cheeks. "Somebody's got to." Leon and Jesse had come into her life together, like a package deal. He had been so quiet back then but they'd warmed to each other pretty quickly. She could tell right away that he was something special. When the Mad Scientist in him came out, she made sure to help nurture it; they could talk about cars for hours.

"I hope you've been keeping these clowns in line. Somebody's gotta be the brains in this operation. You don't know how many times I could have used your skills, man." It was true. She'd be working on a car and would wonder how Jesse would fix something or what he would do to make a design better.

"Well, you should have just called and I'da been there." Letty's smile faded a bit with regret. He was probably right but she had been too wary to ever risk it. "But you're here now and you can supervise Leon over there before we end up with nothing but burnt barbecue for dinner." Leon pushed him aside and they began a back and forth of mock jabs at each other.

"See what you've been missing?" Vince had snuck up beside her and draped an arm over her shoulder.

Letty looked up at her old friend and placed her arm around his back. "Yeah, I see." Vince kissed her on the top of her head and Letty slipped her other arm across his waist and squeezed. He returned her hug and they simply held each other for long moments while the others looked on.

Vince was Dom's best friend but he was family to Letty. She had been the most worried about his reaction to seeing her again. He'd been so angry when she left, mostly because he understood why she had to do it. Vince had openly disapproved when she and Dom first started dating. Dom was such a player back then and no one but the two of them were convinced he could commit. It was no secret that Vince would stick with Dom if something went wrong and Vince was afraid that he'd lose Letty over Dom's bullshit. It hadn't quite gone down like that but it had still hurt.

"It's good to see you, Babygirl." He let her go and grabbed a beer that he opened for her. "Now we can put you to work because Leon really is going to burn that food if you don't supervise."

She laughed and walked towards the grill. "Well, I haven't done this in a while but I can't do a worse job than you right now, right Leon?"

He shoved her with his arm but grinned and handed her the tongs. "You grill, I'll sauce."

Letty looked over to see Dom coming down the stairs with more stuff from the kitchen. He'd already had his time with her and was holding back. She nodded in his direction and he smiled in return before turning and speaking quietly with Vince.

This felt good. Things were different for sure. The passage of time was all around them and the weight of their past lingered. But it felt like a rekindling and not just a spark of nostalgia that flares before dying away forever. Food laid out, drinks cooling in the summer heat and family reconnected around the table, they said grace and thanked the heavens for bringing their team together again.

* * *

_'This was how it should be,'_ Dom thought to himself as he looked around the room.

It was late but everyone seemed content to linger as the night deepened. They'd eaten themselves full and then some. Dom and the boys had cleaned up outside but he'd left Letty and Mia to wash the dishes, giving them time to catch up and gossip in whatever girly fashion they deemed appropriate. Then everyone sat around like they hadn't done in years and just hung out, playing video games and telling old stories. Eventually Jorge had turned up, probably to get another up-close view of Letty. It had been cute watching him trying out his game on her and she being a good sport about it. Hector showed up too bringing with him some of their old friends and it had become a bona fide party at that point, albeit a low key one.

At the height of the festivities, Dom snuck Letty away to check out the remodeled car he'd told her about. The two of them spent an hour thoroughly examining every part of it. Of all the interactions they'd had in the last day and a half, that had been the most intimate to him, but also the most natural. Each time she'd caress the body or adjust something under the hood, he was reminded of the other parts of him she'd touched; the little things she'd done to make him better. So many things they'd gotten through in this life by bonding over a sweet ride and each other's company.

Now they were back sitting in the living room, listening to Vince rag on Dom about some stupid stunt he'd pulled when they were sixteen. Letty was sitting next to Vince adding a funny detail when it seemed appropriate to heighten the story.

Why couldn't it have been like this all the time? Why had it taken five years and a life away from Letty to bring this kind of peace to their household? He, Mia and the boys had had some good times since Letty left, times that he was proud of. But none of them were like this.

Maybe he was being naive thinking they could hold on to this vibe after the evening was over. But it was in his nature to go after what he wanted and there was no way that he was letting this be the last time he felt this kind of contentment. He was hoping that Letty felt the same way because it was her that made it possible.

Dom laughed at Vince still clowning him but didn't miss the look that passed between Letty and Hector. There was no mistaking what that meant; their time together was coming to a close. This wouldn't be the end even though he and Letty had made no plans for the future.

Leon had turned the tables and was telling a story about one of Vince's past adventures and with the attention off of him, he caught Letty's eye and gestured towards the front. She nodded and made for the front door, Dom following close behind.

Once outside, she stopped at the second step and sat down. That was their usual spot and the place where they had that last, sad conversation before she left. He lowered himself beside her and they sat together, calmly watching the night slip away from them.

Dom turned to her, liking the way the occasional breeze stirred the loose strands of hair around her face. He studied every detail, every curve and line, every movement she made with those expressive eyes. Examining her like that was almost too much for him.

"So, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, turning back to stare at the street in front of him.

Letty shifted to stretch her legs out in front of her. "No, not bad at all. Thanks for the invitation."

"Anytime."

Silence followed again, this time not so comfortable. It was difficult to know where to go from here.

Cutting to the chase, Letty stated the obvious. "I still live halfway across the world, Dom. And even when I'm not in Spain, I'm on the road all the time for work."

"I know."

"I've missed this though." Another stretch of silence.

"I think my dad would be proud of us right now," Dom said. Letty turned towards him, brow furrowed at the unexpected shift in topic. He met her gaze squarely. "We've come a long way. He realized right away that you were special. He adored you."

Letty smiled at the mention of Dom's late father. "I adored him too."

"Now look at you. He'd be happy to see it." He paused and turned away. "I know he wouldn't approve of everything I've done but I like to think he'd respect the man I've become, despite my mistakes."

Letty brushed his shoulder lightly with her own, bringing his attention back to her. "I know he would have, Dom. You've done right by Mia. You've kept his memory alive and become everything he wanted for you. I may not have been around for all of it but I can tell that you worked hard to get where you are. Successful business owner, well-respected in the community, still king of the streets if you ask the right people."

He chuckled. "Is that so?"

She joined in his laughter. "That's what I hear."

He took her hand in his. "I did work hard to get to this point, Let'. I'm glad you can see that." He paused searching for the right words. "It matters to me that you can see that after … after everything." Tentatively, she slid over closer to where he sat and leaned her head on his shoulder. They remained like that for a while, hands still grasped together.

Behind them, a door opened and Hector popped his head out. He looked sheepish about the interruption but it was definitely pretty late by this point. The garage was closed on Mondays but Letty and Hector still had a cross-continental flight to catch the next morning.

"Give me five minutes, man, and I'm good," Letty said before Hector could think of how to tactfully hint that they needed to bounce.

He nodded and then grinned at Dom. "Am I gonna have to come out there and beat you down for being all up on my girl."

"You can try," Dom responded dryly over his shoulder. But he smirked over at Letty who was scowling at the retreating Hector.

She let go of his hand and moved to get up but he stopped her. "I was thinking," he started. "I've got a pretty good thing going on here in L.A. Shop's doing well; I got good people working for me. Mia's doing her thing like Dad wanted."

Letty forced a smile at him. "Life's pretty good here, isn't it?" She looked down at her feet, kicking a heel against the porch step. Dom warmed at the sign of one of her old nervous ticks. "I wouldn't want you to give that up, Dom."

"I know." He put a hand on her knee to stop her kicking. She brushed him off, still hating the gesture which only amused Dom more. "However, I was thinking I wouldn't mind doing a little traveling; seeing more of the world and maybe brushing up on my Spanish." He glanced sideways at her trying to gauge what she might think about that.

At first, her expression was unreadable and he worried that he'd just sabotaged himself. But when she turned to him with that shy grin of hers. The rush of pleasure to his gut was almost overwhelming.

"Your Spanish wasn't that great the last time we tested it out," she joked. They had taken a trip to the Dominican Republic to check out some potential contacts back when they were still planning heists. Infamously, Dom's Spanish skills had almost gotten them in trouble once or twice.

Dom laughed at the memory of that trip. "So I'll brush up. Or there's always Milan; or maybe Monte Carlo. I hear London's pretty fun if you know where to go."

Milan, Monte Carlo and London, incidentally, were the cities at which the Castillo Group had drivers competing over the next few months. He'd looked it up earlier in anticipation of getting to know her again.

Letty had picked up on the suggestion, her delight sparkling in her eyes. "Someone's been doing his homework." This time she did stand and put her hand out to pull him up alongside her. "Could be fun though," she responded.

He stared down at her, into those deep brown eyes he loved so much, and he saw all the possibility that was waiting for them, if only they'd get their act together. Being apart had forced them to grow up and become stronger. But together, they could be unstoppable.

She better be ready because he was coming to get her.

Letty squeezed his hand before letting go again. "I'm gonna go say goodbye to everyone so that—"

Dom pulled her into his arms before she could finish that thought. "Not so fast." He brushed his lips to hers and relished her immediate response. When Letty opened up for him, he devoured what he'd been missing for the past five years.

There was no guilt or tension to their kiss or the desperation he felt to hold on to her. There was only comfort and history. And there was love in a form that neither could yet identify. Letty's arms went around him, holding him as tightly as he was holding her, coaxing him with as much passion as he felt in his own heart. She consumed him and there was no going back. Kissing her, tasting her, loving her was everything.

He pulled away slowly only to go in again with a soft press of his lips to hers. It wasn't a long embrace but it got his message across: he was in this. He'd wait for her to join him, no matter how long it took or how much he had to chase her across the globe.

Dropping his arms, he stepped behind her and gently pushed her towards the front door. "Now you can go say your goodbyes."

She whistled as she reached for the door knob. "So you had to get your goodbye in first, huh? That was a helluva sendoff." She glanced at him over her shoulder as she opened the door.

He still held a hand loosely at her waist as they entered. "You've got it all wrong. I'm never saying goodbye to you." He kissed her on the top of the head before letting go so she could say her farewells.

She made the rounds, giving hugs and hurling insults where it was appropriate. There were promises to keep in touch and plans made for her next trip over. The boys were dying to get her into the shop and weren't above asking for perks they knew she had access to being such a big shot. After another ten minutes, she and Hector finally made their way out followed by the rest of their friends dispersing for the night.

Closing Letty into Hector's car, Dom gave her another quick kiss on the lips and made her promise to call him when she got settled back in Spain.

"See you around, sucker," she called to him through the window.

"Count on it, baby."

This time around, they were going to conquer the world together.

_The End_


End file.
